AVIAGE SYSTEMS and SATPRO have recently signed a partnership agreement to jointly launch the first HTS (High Throughput Satellite) Ku SATCOM system designed and manufactured in China. In the five year agreement, both will be exclusive partners to develop the Asia Pacific and India connectivity markets for narrow-body aircraft.

AVIAGE SYSTEMS was established in 2012 as a joint venture between GE and AVIC. As the avionics systems provider for COMAC C919, it sees open-architecture IMA (Integrated Modular Avionics) technology and ecosystem as a core competency. On 2018, AVIAGE SYSTEMS announced to enter the In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) Market, aiming to provide airlines with high-speed and optimized connectivity solutions based on open IFC platform. SATPRO is located in Xi’an China, since established in 2007, it has provided over 4000 SATCOM systems to vehicles and ships globally and launched their first airborne product in 2016. The airborne SATCOM system jointly launched by both parties is designed for narrow body aircraft like A320, B737, and C919 etc. This HTS Ku SATCOM system can achieve max. 50Mbps data rate on one aircraft if it connects to the China 1st High-throughput Ku satellite which plans to be launched later this year. It will bring the communication in the sky into a “5G” era. The first SATCOM system is expected to be completed in the 1st half of 2020 and planned to gain Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) at the end of this year.

“We’re aiming to build an open IFC platform to integrate leading connectivity technologies and products in China. SATCOM system is one of the core parts of IFC solution, and we’re glad to partner with Satpro to co-develop the Ku satellite communication applications.” Cliff Yin, Product Management Director of AVIAGE SYSTEMS said, “Both of us have capabilities from R&D, manufacturing, marketing to service in China, we can provide high performance solutions and quick-response services to airline customers in China and neighboring countries.”