Reza Rasoulian talks connectivity for every passenger
Reza Rasoulian, Senior Vice President, Hughes
PAX Tech spoke with Reza Rasoulian, Senior Vice President, Hughes, at APEX Global EXPO last month about the company’s focus on making connectivity experiences effective, robust and reliable.
“We do that by bringing multiple solutions to the market, really depending on the airline's needs,” Rasoulian explains, adding that reliability is an important part of delivering onboard connectivity services.
“Being able to tell your passengers it's going to work, day in and day out, and we're going to be proactive and fix disruptions before it actually impacts the passenger experience, that’s the message.”
Rasoulian also cites satellite capacity as one of the factors transforming how passengers experience connectivity inflight. Specifically, bringing that satellite capacity to the user’s device reliably during every flight, on every route.
Within the next several years, he hopes to see every single device onboard reliably connected, whether it's a seatback screen or personal devices or other connected devices that the passenger may bring.
“Historically, the industry has limited passengers to maybe one device, or if you want two devices, you pay more,” he explains. “The expectation has shifted and in the next couple of years, we're going to see passengers want to connect everything they bring on board.”
While the business traveller working from the aircraft may be flying in Economy Class or Business Class, Rasoulian says the service available in each cabin could even reflect the fare, providing an elevated or differentiated experience to those in a premium class.
“If you're paying a premium to fly in a premium cabin, your expectations are Higher,” he explains. “We have technology that can create a differentiated experience to the extent an airline wants to create that differentiated experience.”
One piece of this technology is called Fusion. Hughes Fusion actively blends multiple connectivity technologies such as GEO, LEO or terrestrial 5G. This allows airlines to tailor the connectivity experience across a range of use-cases or applications such as seating class or loyalty status. Rasoulian likens the availability of connectivity onboard each class to the quality of food service.
“We're fortunate because we have the tech to determine when a particular user should get the best experience possible,” he says. “You have a premium level of dining and in Economy, you have a regular dining experience. It's not bad, it's good, but it's even better in first class. Some airlines on the other hand want an exceptional passenger experience for all passengers, and Hughes can deliver that experience too, with GEO, LEO, or a Fusion service bringing in GEO and LEO for the most robust and flexible IFEC solution.”
Rasoulian reflects on this week at APEX saying that there is no longer just an insatiable need for connectivity, but for great connectivity.
“We're really seeing that in our discussions with airlines,” he concludes. “They're really trying to do their best for passengers, and we're able to deliver that for them. It's amazing.”
