Cost Benefit Analysis for "Non-Safety" Satellite Based Aeronautical Services

The two incumbent aeronautical satellite communication service providers are operating in L-band with very little scope for expansion. Thus, new service offerings are aiming at new frequency bands where capacity is still available and the expectation for lower cost per megabyte may be realisable. Ku-band has already seen both, failed Aerosatcom service provision attempts (e.g. CbB) and new start-ups (e.g. Panasonic/AeroMobile/Lufthansa). Kaband has become the new frontier, seen to provide relief from growing demand on spectrum where Ku spectrum may run into limitations, when Fixed Satellite Services (FSS), Broadcast Satellite services (BSS) and Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) start to compete for satellite capacity and orbital slots in earnest. An ESA-funded study aims at the assessment of the commercial and technical feasibility of a number of non-safety aeronautical communication (AAC and APC) solutions and business models in a 15 years timeframe in order to identify the commercial viability and technical feasibility of current and emerging connectivity solutions for the air transport, business aviation and government market segments.