Deutsche Telekom’s partner Inmarsat has confirmed the successful launch of the S-band satellite, a key milestone for the companies’ joint pioneering broadband solution, the European Aviation Network (EAN).
In parallel, Deutsche Telekom is making steady progress with the set-up of its complementary EAN ground network component, to be completed by early 2018.
The Inmarsat S EAN satellite was launched by Arianespace on an Ariane5 rocket at 23.15 CEST / 17.15 EDT from the Centre Spatial Guyannais (Guiana Space Centre) in Kourou, French Guiana. Following satellite separation at 23.34 CEST / 17.43 EDT, Inmarsat acquired telemetry from the Kourou ground station at 23.50 CEST / 17.50 EDT, confirming a successful launch.
The European Aviation Network (EAN) is the first solution in the world to integrate connectivity from a satellite, operated by Inmarsat, and a complementary LTE-based ground network, operated by Deutsche Telekom. It allows European passengers to use their personal devices for internet browsing, video streaming, gaming and other online services, with unmatched high capacity, low-latency performance.
Following the successful launch of the S-band satellite and the ongoing roll-out of Deutsche Telekom’s complementary ground network, EAN is on schedule to commence commercial service in the second half of 2017.
“We are extremely pleased to witness Inmarsat’s launch of the EAN satellite and are proud to work with such strong partners for the realization of this truly groundbreaking project,” says Rolf Nafziger, Senior Vice President, International Wholesale Business Unit at Deutsche Telekom. “Our own work building the complementary EAN ground network, which consists of setting-up and connecting almost 300 antenna sites across Europe, is progressing well and will be finalized at the beginning of 2018.”
“Delivering innovative services of unparalleled quality is core to our strategy at Inmarsat,” says Leo Mondale, President, Inmarsat Aviation. “The European Aviation Network is a truly revolutionary solution that brings together state-of-the-art technology in a new, complimentary way, and we are excited to realize its commercial launch in the near future. The successful launch of the Inmarsat-S EAN satellite is a major milestone on our journey towards achieving this.”
The launch team from Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, and its partner Thales Alenia Space, the manufacturer of the Inmarsat S EAN payload, are now raising the spacecraft to a geostationary orbit. When the satellite reaches this point, it will deploy its solar arrays and reflectors, and undergo payload testing.
About EAN
The European Aviation Network (EAN) is an innovative integrated S-band satellite and complementary LTE-based terrestrial network across Europe that will bring unprecedented passenger connectivity to the aviation industry. Launching in the second half of 2017, EAN is the world’s first integrated satellite and air-to-ground network and is dedicated to providing a true in-flight broadband experience for the European aviation industry and for millions of passengers travelling across Europe. It is unique in the capacity and quality of broadband internet service it brings to the dense European aviation routes; in a very small and lightweight form factor that typical broadband satellite based solutions cannot offer.
