Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has signed an agreement for Cobham SATCOM to design and produce an advanced Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) terminal as part of its recently announced European Aviation Network high-speed inflight connectivity solution.

The compact, lightweight and cost effective terminal will be a vital component in the European Aviation Network, which was unveiled earlier this month as the first aviation passenger connectivity solution in Europe to combine an advanced satellite network, operated by Inmarsat, and LTE-based ground network, operated by Deutsche Telekom.

As a result, commercial and business airlines will be able to offer reliable, high-speed internet access to passengers during flights across the continent’s high-traffic flight paths, utilising Inmarsat’s 30MHz (2 x 15MHz) S-band spectrum allocation in all 28 EU member states.

The European Aviation Network will allow aircraft to switch automatically from Inmarsat’s satellite connectivity to Deutsche Telekom’s terrestrial component using an onboard network communicator, without any impact or interference to service delivery.

The new terminal will exploit the latest advances in Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) technology to enable a direct connection between aircraft and Inmarsat’s state-of-the-art S-band satellite, which is currently being manufactured by Thales Alenia Space.

Cobham SATCOM is also responsible for updating the Inmarsat BGAN ground infrastructure to accommodate S-band operation as part of its agreement with Inmarsat.