[Satellite Today – 2-6-08] Israel’s Starling Advanced Communications Ltd. and EMS Technologies Inc. signed an agreement to develop, manufacture and market a new satellite-based Ku-band airborne antenna system, Starling announced Feb. 6.
    Starling and EMS’s Defense and Space Systems division will develop broadband antenna systems to provide in-flight communications for U.S. commercial airlines. The antenna will combine an ultra-lightweight, low-profile antenna with high-speed data rates and will be suitable for widebody and narrowbody aircraft.
    “The alliance with EMS is a strategic milestone in the history of Starling, indicating the company’s penetration of the U.S. market,” Micha Lawrence, founder and CEO of Starling, said in a statement. “The agreement reflects the increasing demand in the United States for reliable and cost-effective airborne broadband antenna systems for airlines.”