AirSatOne has certified its network for compatibility with Wi-Fi Calling, a new feature now offered by all major U.S., and some international, cell phone carriers. With Wi-Fi calling passengers and flight crew can use their own smart phone for phone calls and text messaging on business jets during all phases of flight. “With Wi-Fi Calling, when the mobile phone loses cellular coverage but Wi-Fi is available, it automatically switches to Wi-Fi for calls and text messages, allowing the phone to work the same as it does every day on the ground,” explains Jo Kremsreiter, President of AirSatOne.
Wi-Fi Calling is a standard feature baked in to a smart phone’s operating software which means there is no need to install third-party applications and the phone uses the same cellular number when connected to a Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi calling also automatically transfers in-progress calls from cellular to Wi-Fi and provides the same user experience and services including texting, call waiting, and multi-party calling. Kremsreiter reports that “testing of Wi-Fi Calling over AirSatOne systems has revealed extremely clear voice and virtually no background noise”.
Customers using AirSatOne as their Satcom provider can immediately tap into Wi-Fi Calling. No hardware or software installation is required and there is no charge for Wi-Fi Calling access through AirSatOne’s network, although standard Satcom data usage and cellular provider voice charges do apply to Wi-Fi calls.
Built in smartphone Wi-Fi Calling uses a technology called Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband (AMR-WB) which is an audio codec with compression optimized for speech coding. AMR-WB supports dynamic adaptation to network conditions using lower bit rates during network congestion or degradation while preserving audio quality. This means that a smartphone with Wi-Fi calling makes adjustments based on the Wi-Fi network it is connected to. Because aircraft Satcom systems have limited bandwidth, when the AMR software detects this, calls are automatically adjusted to a lower bit rate to fit through the pipe which also uses less data.
About AirSatOne
AirSatOne, LLC provides customized reliable Iridium and Inmarsat Satcom connectivity with superior customer service and market pricing. Through a partnership with Airbus Defence and Space, AirSatOne connects aircraft to a global network of communication points, achieving seamless coverage in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. AirSatOne is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
