EMS Aviation said it recently completed installation of a managed Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) service with a Middle Eastern Head of State Airbus A320. EMS teamed with Paris-based Eclipse, an Inmarsat service provider and avionics dealer, to implement this secure end-to-end voice system, which the companies say is the first of its kind on an A320.
The system onboard the A320 Aircraft includes EMS Aviation’s eNfusion AMT-3800 High-gain Antenna, HSD-440 Highspeed Data Terminal simultaneously supporting Inmarsat Classic Aero and Swift-64 or Swift Broadband services, CCU-200 Communications Convergence Unit and a CNX-200 Network Accelerator. When a voice call is placed, the system, which uses a Quality of Service (QoS) SwiftBroadband connection dynamically and automatically, increases the streaming rate associated with the call, allowing more voice calls to be placed simultaneously, according to EMS. The system leverages both EMS Aviation and Eclipse technology in the ground infrastructure on Vizada’s Ground Earth Station network backbone located in France.
“Eclipse developed this application of VoIP in 2009,” said Marc Pinault, Eclipse chief executive officer. “The operator’s feedback on the system has been very positive. As a result, cabin voice on this aircraft is exclusively VoIP using SwiftBroadband. Our hardware and backbone software, coupled with EMS Aviation’s CCU-200 networking device and HSD-440 High-speed Data Transceiver, are what make the system unique.”
“This is an important milestone for EMS Aviation,” said Nim Evatt, EMS Aviation general manager. “We have been looking for new ways to offer users the best of SwiftBroadband. Our networking technology continues
to push the envelope by offering this latest innovation in airborne telephony services.”