My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica: Honeywell partners with Immarsat for In-Flight Satellite Broadband in 2013AD - Konshens Gal a Bubble for Qualcomm Airplane Broadband

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Honeywell partners with Immarsat for In-Flight Satellite Broadband in 2013AD - Konshens Gal a Bubble for Qualcomm Airplane Broadband


Honeywell International Inc, a company based in Morris Township, New Jersey, has decided to toss its hat into the Telecommunications ring. This as they announced on Wednesday April 18th 2012AD that they had forged a partnership with Satellite Broadband provider Inmarsat PLC to resell Satellite Broadband access and gear for In-flight Broadband as stated in the article “Honeywell signs Internet deal with Inmarsat”, published Thursday April 19, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This move is no surprise to watchers in the Telecommunications World, my world about which I blog, as Honeywell International Inc had purchased EMS Technologies Inc, a Mobile Equiptment and Satellite Equiptment Supplier in 2011AD, annexing the company’s business with its own aerospace business in Phoenix, Arizona. So a move into Satellite Broadband was inevitable, albeit the specialization as it relates to Airplane Broadband seemed a bit odd.

Honeywell International Inc and Inmarsat PLC partnership is almost as long and extensive as its partnership with ALCOA in the Alumina Mining Business in the form of QUASAR (Quality Automation Solutions for Alumina Refining) as described in my blog article entitled “Digicel cuts 120 Call Center Jobs - Fullgram Solutions to benefit as Antonio Graham speaks of an AEPP future by the Ocean”.

This partnership mainly revolves around the Aviation Business. Thus a further solidification of their long term business friendship with a joint venture into Telecommunications after the acquisition was most likely inevitable.

However, most industry watchers though that Honeywell International Inc would have gone into Satellite Broadband Voice Telephony for terrestrial Dwellers in remote hard to reach places. Possibly, many speculated, using their own Smartphone design (??) akin to the TerreStar Genus smart phone being sold by Telecom Provider AT&T as stated in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and Satellite Calling - For Your Eyes Only”.

Now that the dust has settled on the partnership with Inmarsat PLC, many have also speculated that the Honeywell International Inc should have done. Known in Alumina Mining World for its expertise in Process Control Technology such as their TPS (Total Plant Solution) currently being deployed at ALCOA  (Aluminum Company of Jamaica) part-owned Plant JAMALCO, PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers) and Cameras, many thought providing Satellite Broadband to people living in remote parts of the world was the aim.

After all, Inmarsat PLC is slated to launch their Satellite Broadband System named Global Xpress in 2013AD and plans to take the wraps off its new Satellite Broadband Network in 2014AD, just in time for FIFA world Cup 2014AD. As a Telecom Technician, I often debated the feasibility of Telecoms Providers renting access to satellites to customers in a business model geared at providing Data and VoIP-based Telephony to customers who were outside of commercially viable places in Jamaica for Landline and mobile Services.

This development follows on the heels of OC3 Communications, and their deployments of birds [satellites] to provide10Mbps Theoretical  Satellite Broadband to some one hundred and thirty five (135,000) Europeans by 2013AD as stated in the article “Arianne 5 brings Satellite broadband closer to home”, published 29 November, 2010 15:18 By Ben Woods, ZDNet UK.

A consortium of companies including the likes of Google, HSBC and The Development Bank of South Africa, their deployment began on November 26th 2010 with an Avanti Communications' Hylas 1 Satellite riding aboard an Arianne 5 rocket.

Similarly, Hughes Network Systems is also deploying a constellation of 100Gbps capacity Satellite capable of offering 20MBps theoretical. two million (2,000,000) customers is their aim, mainly persons living outside of the footprint of Terrestrial Telecom Provider Wireless and Wired Broadband Networks as stated in the article “Finally, broadband Satellite with real speed”, published November 9, 2010 4:00 AM PST by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength.

With such a rapidly expanding market for Wireless Broadband untapped currently Terrestrial Telecom Provider Wireless and Wired Broadband Networks, these developments herald the coming of Satellite Broadband and VoIP Services to the “Other Three Billion” inhabitants of the world as envisioned in my article entitled “Telecom Providers and Satellite Broadband - Quantum of Solace and The Tourist”.

Even Developed countries such as the United States of America and Canada with vast wilderness still untamed by civilization in the form of Wired and Wireless Internet as stated in the article “Survey: 40 percent in U.S. have no broadband”, February 16, 2010 10:11 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News – Wireless was ripe for the pickings.

But it seems that Honeywell International Inc realizes that the future of Satellite Broadband is in In-Flight Broadband. This as Telecom Equiptment Supplier Qualcomm is petitioning the FCC (Federal Communication Network) to use a swathe of unused 14MHz spectrum to develop what is effectively Airplane Wi-Fi called Next Gen-AG as described in my blog article entitled “Qualcomm to create Airplane Wi-Fi named Next Gen-AG using 500MHz of unused 14GHz spectrum - 300MBps in the Mile High Club”.

Even more interesting, this system may be capable of speeds of up to 300Mbps Theoretical if Telecom Equiptment Supplier Qualcomm if they decided to use their latest set of DSP (Digital Signal Processors) in their Next Gen-AG Gear for Airplane Wi-Fi as described in my blog article entitled “Qualcomm Atheros Chipsets to support the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi Standard - Municipal Wi-Fi Quantum of Solace”.



Thus the US$2.8 billion in business that that Honeywell International Inc and Inmarsat PLC expect to gain from both the manufacturer and retail of their version of Airplane Wi-Fi Gear as well as the Satellite Broadband Service is really a follow-on, West Indies Cricket Style, of the ambitions of Qualcomm in airplane Broadband. This as the now nascent field of Satellite Broadband is beginning Gal a Bubble by Konshens.

Certainly it does indeed confirm that for Satellite Broadband that Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)!

No comments: