[Satellite TODAY 09-23-10] JetBlue Airways and ViaSat have entered into a non-binding agreement to use ViaSat’s satellite technology to install broadband connectivity on JetBlue’s entire 160-aircraft fleet, ViaSat confirmed Sept. 22.
    Under the agreement, ViaSat will provide Ka-band antenna components and SurfBeam 2 modems for installation on the airline’s Embraer E190 and Airbus A320 aircraft types along with two-way transmission bandwidth services using the WildBlue-1 and ViaSat-1 satellites. JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV will manage the integration of ViaSat broadband, Wi-Fi enabled services and related components onboard the aircraft.
    JetBlue and ViaSat said the agreement will lead to the signing of a definitive agreement before the end of 2010. ViaSat and LiveTV also announced that they intend to partner to bring Ka-band satellite broadband services to the airline industry, including LiveTV’s existing customer base of airlines. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, but ViaSat officials told Satellite TODAY that this information will likely be released with the definitive agreement.
    JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said ViaSat’s bandwidth would allow the partners to design a system to meet present and future personal connectivity needs. “In just the three years since we launched BetaBlue, the first commercial aircraft with simple messaging capability, technology has advanced by generations.  Rather than invest in current technology designed to transmit broadcast video and audio, we elected to partner with ViaSat to create broadband functionality worthy of today’s interactive personal technology needs.”
    ViaSat CEO Mark Dankberg said his company views JetBlue as the perfect partner to introduce its ViaSat-1 broadband network to the commercial aviation market. “The breakthrough bandwidth economics of ViaSat-1 extends the passenger Internet experience beyond just e-mail and Web pages and creates a world of possibilities for personalized broadband entertainment. This is exactly the type of application and user experience that we believe will help transform the satellite broadband industry.”
     ViaSat said the system must be tested and certificated by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prior to fleet-wide installation because the solution is the first of its kind to be implemented. JetBlue and ViaSat expect the first installations to occur by mid-2012.