SmartSky Inches towards New IFC Network Launch

SmartSky Networks, a United States-based provider of air-to-ground Wi-Fi networks for aviation, has finally received the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification authorizing the ground-based remote Radiohead facilitating the company’s next-generation in-flight connectivity (IFC) air-to-ground network system.FCC certification has been the latest accomplishment for SmartSky, with promising outputs in its journey to initiate the commercial launch of the company’s IFC network scheduled later this year.

SmartSky network system, which the establishment first began to roll out in 2015, displays several features, including spectrum reuse coupled with advanced beamforming, and produces 60 MHz of spectrum enabling the new in-flight internet service. SmartSky acquired the very first FCC certification associated with remote Radiohead in 2016. Ever since developments in the network’s terrestrial and airborne hardware and software components regulate the optimum deployment of the company’s network system.

It also established the need for an updated remote Radiohead software before the commercial operation of the network. The FCC certification that the company received recently was followed by the expansion of the south-eastern portion of the network in June, covering a sizeable contiguous part of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

According to David Helfgott, these are anticipated to be the prominent geographic regions planned to be operational this year, even though operators are yet to use the functional portion in the south-eastern region. He has also said that the fully operational network, which is considered to provide IFC coverage all across the U.S. airspace, is set in motion to be available next year.