Nearly 15 years after Inmarsat first introduced global aeronautical satellite communications, the airlines may now be close to realising their dream of connecting the information systems of en route aircraft with ground management and information systems. The data pipes are already in place, with Inmarsat's Swift64, for example, offering effective data transfer rates of up to 128kbit/s and the promise of more to come following the launch of Inmarsat's highly sophisticated fourth-generation satellites next year. But after years of financial struggle, the airlines are now more cautious about their bandwidth requirements and looking to focus on low-cost, high value applications. The more bandwidth the better' has been the marketing mantra bombarding the airlines in recent years.
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