Viasat boosts satellite capacity fivefold for business jet Wi-Fi in US

Viasat has increased the satellite network capacity available to its JetXP business aviation customers across the United States fivefold, as it aims to provide more reliable Wi-Fi for passengers using multiple devices for video calls, streaming and large file transfers.

Announced at NBAA-BACE 2026 in Las Vegas, the expansion covers aircraft equipped with Honeywell Aerospace’s JetWave terminals. The additional capacity was initially available over the eastern United States and has now been extended nationwide.

The improvement is delivered through a software update. Viasat said existing JetXP customers should contact their service provider—Collins Aerospace, Gogo or Honeywell Aerospace—to confirm eligibility and download the update.

The fivefold figure describes available network capacity, rather than a guaranteed fivefold increase in download speeds for each passenger.

“We recognize that capacity demand continues to increase,” said Claudio D’Amico, Viasat’s Vice President of OEMs, Partners and Fleets, Business Aviation.

JetXP combines the former Jet ConneX and Viasat Ka services under one brand and is activated on more than 2,100 aircraft worldwide.

The capacity announcement follows changes to how Viasat sells the service. On October 14, the company introduced three service tiers, ranging from light usage to unlimited connectivity, with new plans and suggested retail prices taking effect on January 1, 2027.

The plans cover Honeywell JetWave and JetWave X terminals as well as Gogo’s Plane Simple Ka equipment. Viasat is publishing suggested retail prices for plans using JetWave X and Plane Simple Ka, with an unlimited plan starting below $11,000 a month. Retail pricing will remain fixed for the term of the service agreement.

The company said the changes respond to customers seeking a simpler way to compare service levels and budget for connectivity.

“Business aviation operators have told us clearly that they want in-flight connectivity they can rely on and pricing they can plan around,” said Viasat President of Aviation Don Buchman.

Viasat also said its ViaSat-3 F2 satellite entered service over the Americas in September 2026, following F3’s entry into service over Asia-Pacific in August. Together with F1, the company said the satellites have tripled the bandwidth available across its global fleet.

The announcements come as Viasat argues that the quality of an aircraft’s internet connection should be judged by how consistently it works throughout a flight, as well as its speed.

In an October summary of its annual business aviation connectivity survey, conducted with Corporate Jet Investor, Viasat said aircraft owners and other principal users placed reliability and coverage above speed among their priorities.

Some 48% of those users named reliability as their top consideration, while 70% placed coverage among their top three. Limited coverage was also their most frequently cited frustration, followed by complicated or inflexible service plans.The post Viasat boosts satellite capacity fivefold for business jet Wi-Fi in US appeared first on AeroTime.

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