NBAA: Viasat announces new Viasat Select service
Viasat announced a new direct service model for business aviation Ka-band connectivity, called Viasat Select, on October 11th at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).
James Person, head of Sales and Development at Viasat told Corporate Jet Investor: “This adds two more dimensions: there is unlimited data allocation now and it gives the option for operators to get this directly from Viasat. It’s a wonderful combination of performance, flexibility and value.”
Viasat Select is a response to the growing needs of owners and passengers while they are in the air. Person said some operators – especially corporate ones – have higher requirements for cabin connectivity.
Customers can now look at buying an entry-level data plan at $2,795 per month, with unlimited speed and data. The most expensive option is just under $14,000.
Viasat Select offers regional plans for Europe and North America. “The entry-level starts at $2,795 and that gives them 15 gigabytes of data, which is fine for many operators who travel 30 hours a month. With the regional unlimited plan – both data and speed – that’s $9,995,” said Person.
The company has gathered some feedback from its existing customers, including Flexjet, which is using this on its Praetor aircraft in Europe.
Claudio D’Amico, Viasat business area director, Business Aviation, said: “Operators overwhelmingly told us that selecting products in the market with data and speed caps was a key issue for in-flight connectivity. With Viasat Select, operators with different connectivity requirements and aircraft operational profiles can choose a plan that will best match their needs.”
D’Amico said the ViaSat-3 satellite coverage will be add to the customer experience. Viasat’s Ka-band coverage now covers 90% of most-travelled flight routes in Brazil.
