FDS Avionics and SmartSky combine IFE and IFC for BizAv
CHARLOTTE, N.C. –- 22 OCTOBER 2018 –- With more business jet passengers demanding a premium travel experience in the sky, FDS Avionics has integrated its inflight entertainment system with the industry’s next generation air-to-ground connectivity service, SmartSky 4G LTE, creating a new Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity option.
FDS CEO Reed Macdonald says, “This collaboration between FDS and SmartSky brings together two of the most exciting products in aviation. This pre-integrated solution will give our customers the fastest internet, the best inflight entertainment, and the most immersive moving map technology available on the market.”
FDS has been delivering the doCAPSULE™, a streaming media and moving map platform, for over two years. This multi-media platform provides business aviation with access to licensed Hollywood content and an extremely immersive 2D and 3D moving map experience. Combining this solution with SmartSky’s state-of-the-art 4G LTE-based inflight connectivity will provide an exceptionally robust passenger experience for a wide range of business aircraft.
“SmartSky has long touted the benefits of its open architecture, where operators retain flexibility to choose the elements they want from the providers they want, rather than a vendor-locked, all-or-nothing approach,” says SmartSky Networks President Ryan Stone. “This week we are showing customers how they can use their own devices to both stream over our 4G LTE Network and also get the benefits of the excellent FDS inflight entertainment solution.”
The two technologies have been pre-integrated together to create a powerful inflight environment.
ABOUT SMARTSKY NETWORKS
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, SmartSky Networks was formed in 2011 by senior aviation and telecommunications executives seeking to transform aviation through the use of disruptive communications technologies and related tools. Working with leading aerospace and technology partners, SmartSky has begun the rollout of its innovative, air-to-ground network, SmartSky 4G LTE. The network takes advantage of patented spectrum reuse, advanced beamforming technologies and 60 MHz of spectrum for significantly enhanced connectivity. SmartSky 4G LTE delivers data to the aircraft at rates comparable with next-generation satellite solutions and provides unmatched capacity for data transmissions from the aircraft to the ground. This real-time, low latency, bidirectional data link makes SmartSky 4G LTE a key enabler for the new and enhanced apps, services, and hardware that will usher in the digitization of the aviation industry. Learn more at www.devsmartsky.wpengine.com.
ABOUT FDS AVIONICS
Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, FDS is a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of cabin electronics for business and commercial aircraft, including Cabin Management Systems (CMS), Inflight Entertainment (IFE) solutions, and ruggedized Military Special Mission displays. FDS also specializes in customized solutions for special applications requiring adherence to military and commercial specifications. Learn more at www.fdsavionics.com.
SmartSky Contact:
Christine Hall
Tel: +1 800 660 9982, ext 718
media@SmartSkyNetworks.com
