Deutsche Telekom and Inmarsat collaborate with Tampnet
Deutsche Telekom and Inmarsat have boosted the capacity of their award-winning European Aviation Network (EAN) inflight broadband solution by collaborating with Tampnet, a provider of high capacity, low latency and reliable connectivity to offshore installations, mobile rigs and vessels.
The additional coverage follows the installation and maintenance of five EAN antenna sites on offshore production platforms in the North Sea. Two additional antenna sites are being placed in offshore wind farms within the coastal waters of Germany and the Netherlands (exclusive economic zones) and one more is already operational onshore in Norway. The new sites are located strategically to further enhance EAN’s high-speed passenger connectivity on flights in Northern Europe, including high-density flight routes between the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
The five sea-based antenna sites are co-located on the top of existing communication infrastructure on offshore production platforms and therefore benefit from Tampnet’s extensive fibre network in the area. The necessary equipment elements were brought in via helicopter in often challenging weather conditions and installed according to stringent security requirements on the offshore production platforms. All engineering and installation activities were conducted in close cooperation with the platform owners and operators.
“With the installation of eight more antenna sites in and around the North Sea, we are proud to bring additional network capacity to an already exceptional connectivity service," said Rolf Nafziger, Senior Vice President of Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier. "The European Aviation Network gives European aviation a global advantage: Airlines get high speed and scalable connectivity with low operating costs and pan-European coverage. Passengers get a seamless service that is as good as a broadband connection on the ground.”
Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom recently celebrated the third anniversary of EAN being offered commercially by airline customers. To date, more than 55 million passengers have enjoyed access to the advanced, high-speed connectivity solution on over 440,000 flights across the continent.