Antenna cables allow in-flight wireless connections

Staying connected in-flight is important to business travelers, but to do so, they most often need a wired handset rather than their own devices. To make it easier for travelers to connect, Dassault Aviation will use W. L. Gore & Associates’ Gore Leaky Feeder Antenna for its Falcon 7X jet. The Leaky Feeder Antenna will enable OnAir’s in-flight system to deliver GSM connectivity during flight, allowing passengers to use their own mobile phones and electronic devices rather than equipment installed in the jet.

Gore Leaky Feeder Antennas provide reliable access to different wireless protocols so passengers can easily connect to Internet servers, email accounts, telephone networks, and in-flight entertainment. These antennas are easily installed along the length of the cabin ceiling, and with signal propagation occurring every meter along the antenna, passengers are assured reliable access regardless of their location in the plane.

Unlike typical broadband technology that requires separate hardware for each type of wireless access, Leaky Feeder Antennas offer a single solution for providing connectivity for a variety of electronic devices. They send and receive signals in frequencies ranging from 400 MHz to 6 GHz, which makes them compatible with numerous communication standards, including Bluetooth, DECT, DECT2, Global Star, GSM, IRIDIUM Sat, MMS, PDC, TETRA, UMTS, WLAN 802.l11 a/b/g/n, and WiMAX.

“Today, many business jets have an onboard satellite-linked phone system, but passengers usually have to use a wired handset instead of their own devices,” explains Adrian Milne, product manager for GORE Leaky Feeder Antennas. “This new OnAir service with Gore Leaky Feeder Antennas allows passengers to make calls, send texts, and access the Internet in flight just like they do when sitting in their office: simply pick up the device and start using it. Dassault is clearly setting the pace by offering in-flight smart phone voice and data connectivity on business jets.”

W.L Gore & Associates
www.gore.com/aerospace