Satcom Direct is celebrating its silver anniversary this year and is marking the event with the launch of groundbreaking technology. The first antenna from the Satcom Direct Plane Simple® Antenna series is being commercially introduced in October 2022 and is the culmination of a business that has spent the past 25 years innovating novel ideas for this demanding industry.

Where it all started

Founded in 1997 by company chairman and CEO Jim Jensen, SD leads the sector in its innovative approach to delivering connectivity beyond all expectations. Founder Jensen recognized an opportunity to improve connectivity efficiency for executive airliner aircraft while working at a multi-national avionics corporation. With his employers declining to develop the idea, Jensen decided to go it alone and launched Global One Number, a technology enabling direct dialing to an aircraft’s unique telephone number during flight, regardless of location.

Jim Jensen
Jim Jensen. Photo: Satcom Direct

This was pioneering. Previously callers had to know where the aircraft was, look up several corresponding numbers and eventually dial a 15- to 20-digit number to reach the aircraft. Billing was generated by numerous different sources as the aircraft passed between satellite beams. It was complicated, which is why Global One Number was quickly adopted and set Jensen on the flight path to success.

Famously launched from a beach house in Florida with just six employees, today the company operates from a state-of-the-art headquarters located in Melbourne, Florida, on a street named for the business. SD began international expansion in 2012, with the opening of the Farnborough, UK office, from which its international business is now conducted. Some 400 employees based out of 16 offices in eight countries currently support more than 7,000 aircraft, including military/head of state aircraft in 20 countries and 100% of US Government Senior Leadership Aircraft.

WHQ Satcom Direct
Satcom Direct World Headquarters on Satcom Lane, Melbourne Florida. Photo: Satcom Direct

More than just bizjet connectivity

Today SD does much more than connect business aircraft. SD Government supports military and government connectivity needs across the globe, even in the most challenging environments. SD Marine provides powerful connectivity solutions to the commercial maritime, superyacht and sport fishing community. SD Land & Mobile delivers a wide array of reliable mobile satellite communications solutions to industries such as emergency response, media in remote locations, and a growing list of others who need to communicate from isolated areas – think the Burning Man festival or desert marathons.

SD Data Centre
SD Data Centre forms a key part of the end to end SD offering. Photo: Satcom Direct

The SD Data Centre enables secure, tailored data management solutions for customers and holds International Standard Organization (ISO) 27001:2013 status demonstrating that the 25,000 sq feet Tier III facility supports a structured approach to managing data and military-grade cybersecurity solutions.

Yet it is aviation that still drives the company forward, positioning the customer and innovation at the core of all strategic development. SD builds market-driven, customer-inspired products, which invariably means that nobody else does. The company’s strategy for conducting all its in-house development is a real differentiator. This approach has been a springboard for an impressive litany of SD firsts.

Satcom Direct Gulfstream G550 equipped with Plane Simple antenna
With rear-mounted engines the aircraft can sit lower to the ground.  Photo: Satcom Direct

SD's innovative products

In 2007, SD launched its flight deck datalink communications service FlightDeck Freedom® (FDF), which was the first, and is still the only, datalink service to integrate flight deck and cabin communications. SD’s GlobalVT service was first to facilitate inflight use of personal smartphones for voice and SMS, anywhere in the world, at any altitude. The industry’s first certified aviation IT training course, aeroIT®, has seen 1,000 students study and pass the course since its launch in May 2015.

SD Pro® is the first integrated flight operations system to deliver centralized data management, automating and enhancing flight department communications and operations. SD’s patented PostFlight service, a module within the SD Pro® operating system, is the first electronic flight log solution that auto-captures flight times and cycles for more accurate maintenance reporting.

It is not surprising to discover that SD holds more than 18 technology patents. The latest first is the Satcom Direct Plane Simple® Antenna series. It is the first time that a portfolio of antennas has been designed from the ground up for business aviation. As the name suggests, it simplifies connectivity for business aviation. It consists of just two LRUs - the SD Modem Unit and one of three antennas: a tail-mounted dual variant Ka-band or Ku-band antenna and an electronically steered phased array antenna in a flat panel format.

Preparing for the SD Plane Simple Ku-band tail mount antenna install
The Plane Simple® tail-mounted antenna consists of just two LRUs minimising invasive installation. Photo: Satcom Direct

Each has been designed to deliver consistent, global broadband services through connectivity with carefully selected airtime partners. The Plane Simple tail-mounted antenna is slated for commercial launch in October this year. It will connect with the Intelsat FlexExec service, fittingly the first satellite airtime also dedicated to business aviation.

Crucially any aircraft that can support a 12-inch antenna can optimize the benefits giving more connectivity choices to more operators. It is designed to be tail-mounted, but in true pioneering spirit, the first mid-fuselage antenna mounting is confirmed for Fototerra, a Brazil-based company specializing in airborne geographic data capture. The antenna will be located centrally on top of the Embraer EMB-110 twin-turboprop’s fuselage to heighten operating efficiencies. The advanced antenna system will help Fototerra monitor the maritime coast on behalf of the oil and gas industry, and perfectly demonstrates SD’s problem-solving attitude.

Flat Panel
The flat panel electronically steered phased array antenna will begin over the air testing in Q4 2022. Photo: Satcom Direct

The antennas are also more cost-effective to install than legacy systems, require minimal invasion to upgrade, and come with flexible service plans. It’s trailblazing technology that the industry has been waiting for, particularly as smaller aircraft sizes will be able to access high-speed data through the system. For the first time, aircraft of Cessna Citation X or Embraer Phenom 300-size will have reliable connectivity options.

Putting the customer first

SD prides itself on streamlining the end-to-end connectivity experience. Through the provision of software, hardware and infrastructure, coupled with established airtime service agreements, aircraft operators can make one call to acquire and manage all connectivity needs. Service is supported by an impressive, multi-lingual customer support division which is available 24/7/365.

NOC at SD World Headquarters - Hi Res
SD NOC provides 24/7/365 customer support. Photo: Satcom Direct

Customer services were bolstered in 2016 with the launch of the Entry into Service program, offering professional on-site instruction and support for new and existing customers to ensure the best possible user experience. The VIP version sees technical experts providing real-time advice in flight to ensure service optimization. This is complemented by a full training curriculum that educates not just aviation IT experts but flight attendants, cabin technicians, and flight departments about all aspects of the systems.

Customer commitment is unwavering, as is the company’s dedication to innovating and developing advanced technologies to facilitate data solutions for business aircraft that improve efficiencies and experiences while simultaneously evolving industry standards. The SD mindset is about invention and origination; it forms the DNA of its company-wide values and provides the momentum to keep SD at the forefront of aviation connectivity for the next 25 years and more.

This post was sponsored by Satcom Direct