Will the Flightstream AOC save me money on airtime?
Testing was conducted by visiting several web sites such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, ESPN, BBC News and many other popular web sites. We documented average savings of data used at of 37% by using minimum compression only.
If the internet users in your aircraft visited the exact pages the same amount from one month to the next and did a comparison between not using the unit and using it there would be a savings of approximately 37%. If further lossy compression and caching were used savings could be up to 80%. Since the internet on your aircraft is used in varying amounts and different pages are visited from month to month, it is hard to put an exact dollar amount on the savings.
Do you have any systems in operation and what kind of aircraft?
Yes, we have systems currently being used on aircraft. The models range all the way up to a VIP Boeing 737.
I already have a Wi-Fi router in the aircraft. Why do I need the Flightstream AOC?
Most routers installed in aircraft do not have advanced data conditioning software that is able to take the data stream and rearrange it to a format that is better suited for satellite communications. The most common Wi-Fi Routers such as Aircell’s CTR, ICG’s NxtMail and Honeywell’s CCU-200 do not have these features included. The Flightstream AOC adds these features to your system, is easy to install, offers better performance than competing systems and is relatively low cost.
The Flightstream AOC will also provide advanced connection features for new mobile devices even if the existing installed system is obsolete. Upgrading the unit is easy and will not require changes to the existing STC since the unit is a PED.
Will the Flightstream AOC work with the CNX-200?
We get this question a lot because the company that designed the software used in the CNX-200 (Expand Technologies) ceased operations in 2012 and was purchased by Riverbed Technologies, which stopped supporting the software Jan. 31, 2013.
The Flightstream AOC can be used with the CNX-200. The Flightstream AOC will allow the aircraft operator and their passengers continued benefits of compression and optimization technology. In fact the Flightstream AOC will be an upgrade to the technology that is currently in the CNX-200.
Can a speed test be run to determine the performance of the Flightstream AOC?
The only way to test the performance is with more sophisticated testing programs such as Wireshark. These programs can verify how much data was reduced to load a web page and speed at which the web page was loaded. Testing these parameters will give a true reading of the performance.
Common speed tests found on the internet will not work for any compression/acceleration device, including the Flightstream AOC. These speed tests use files that cannot be compressed so they will not work for testing these devices. The Flightstream AOC not only compresses data, it reduces data by caching web pages and by using lossy compression. These features reduce or eliminate data, which common internet speed tests are incapable of picking up.
Does the Flightstream AOC need an STC to be installed?
The Flightstream AOC is classified as a PED (Portable Electronic Device) and operational approval is covered under the original Wi-Fi STC.
What will it do for me? What will it do for the passengers?
The Flightstream AOC will speed up page load times and reduce data going through the "pipe" which will save on data used resulting in monetary savings. It basically makes the internet faster and reduces cost of airtime.
What is the installation process like for your latest model?
Our newest unit is simple to install, plug the unit into a power source and configure the Flightstream AOC to connect to your existing Wi-Fi. Installation time is estimated to be under 1 hour. Internet users on board your aircraft will simply connect their wireless devices to the Flightstream AOC. The Flightstream will provide compression, acceleration and optimization to anyone connected to the unit.
What does caching do?
The Flightstream AOC has up to 7GB of caching memory. When someone on the aircraft visits a web page the Flightstream AOC will save the web page in memory. If anyone else visits the same page it will be downloaded to their device from the Flightstream AOC’s memory (cache). This greatly increases web page load times because the data is coming from inside the aircraft as opposed to getting the web page over the satellite system. This also reduces the total amount of data going across the network, which saves you money.
If web pages are cached in the Flightstream AOC does that mean the web pages delivered from the cache will be old and out of date?
No, the web pages will be current. Any time someone on board the aircraft visits a web page the Flightstream AOC will check the web page header to make sure the page is current. If the header indicates the web page is current it will deliver the web page from memory, if the web page is not current the Flightstream AOC will download the latest page and save it to memory.
FAQ's
Air Sat One Frequently Asked Questions
To the left, you'll find a selection of some our most frequently asked questions. Feel free to browse our listing here before submitting a ticket or contacting us directly.
