NXT Communications Corporation (NXTCOMM) has completed design of a low-cost, flat-panel satellite antenna for the commercial and defense aviation markets.

NXTCOMM's high-capacity, flat panel satellite antenna provides greater performance at significantly lower price points. The design uses standard PCB manufacturing technology with commercial off-the-shelf components and a unique modular sub array topology scalable to any form factor.

"AeroMax fills a critical broadband need facing airlines and operators as they resume flights in a changed connectivity environment," says Dave Horton, co-founder and CEO of NXTCOMM and a 20-year aviation IFC and satcom veteran. "Unlike traditional mechanically steered antenna designs, our antennas are modular and easily mass producible."

Analysts predict a jump in demand for inflight connectivity as air travel resumes this summer, especially among business travelers, at a time of mounting financial losses in the inflight-connectivity service sector that intensified during the COVID-19 aviation shutdown. According to Quilty Analytics' Q1 2020 Satcom Quarterly Briefing, the aero IFC market will be among the most hard-hit by the current environment in the near-term, estimating that the global 2020 Aero IFC service provider revenue impact to be in the range of $400M to $500M.

The $130B aviation equipment and services market (LSE) still remains significant with more than 39,000 new commercial jets rolling off the production line over the next 20 years, which includes an in-service fleet of 18,000+ commercial transport aircraft across 900 airlines, as well as over 7,500 business jets, according to Boeing and Airbus.

Leveraging advancements in RF and semi-conductor packaging and manufacturing technology, the AeroMax antenna optimizes a highly integrated silicon-based chipset and sub-array design, which serves as the building block for a portfolio of next-generation, lower-cost commercial satellite antennas. The core aperture that drives the NXTCOMM antenna is field and flight tested, having been deployed in defense aviation and ISR applications.

"Our design represents a real breakthrough opportunity to bring proven, low-cost, high-performance flat panel satellite antennas to the commercial aviation marketplace," says Carl Novello, NXTCOMM's Chief Technology Officer, who is overseeing all antenna product design, development, and engineering activities. "The AeroMax antenna features no moving parts, is electronically steerable, and delivers significantly enhanced performance in both Ku and Ka frequency bands," he adds.

NXTCOMM can serve as an attractive alternative to cash-strapped airlines that need connectivity to deliver service to passengers while unlocking new revenue opportunities.

Horton and President and Co-founder Tim Morton assembled a highly skilled team of hardware and software industry veterans across the aviation and satellite world when they started NXTCOMM in 2017.

"We intend to transform inflight passenger experience forever by providing a transformational in-flight connectivity solution that sets a new standard for both user satisfaction and ROI for airlines," says Morton, who previously led development of classified satellite technologies and has overseen development of several venture-backed communications, software, and digital media organizations.

NXTCOMM plans to conduct over-the-air testing later this year, with AeroMax antenna low-rate initial production (LRIP) available in early 2021. NXTCOMM's capabilities include a full-scale production facility in metro Atlanta, as well as Part 145 facilities in Georgia.

"The commercial and defense aviation industry marks the beginning of our efforts to revolutionize the broadband connectivity marketplace," Horton concludes.

Related Links
NXT Communications Corporation
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

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