Viasat’s Global Xpress (GX)

ViaSat’s Global Xpress (GX): Why in News?

ViaSat’s Global Xpress (GX) is a high-speed, global Ka-band satellite network designed to provide seamless, reliable broadband connectivity for government, maritime, aviation, and enterprise users across land, sea, and air. Launched initially in 2010, it achieved full global coverage by 2015, offering high-throughput services with speeds up to 50 Mbps for compact mobile terminals. Here’s a breakdown of its key features and offerings based on available information:

Key Features: ViaSat’s Global Xpress (GX)

Global Coverage: GX uses a constellation of Inmarsat-5 (I-5) satellites with 89 nested spot beams in a honeycomb configuration, ensuring continuous connectivity worldwide, except in polar regions until recent expansions. The network integrates Ka-band for high bandwidth and L-band for resilience, creating a unique multi-band solution.

Arctic Extension: In 2024, ViaSat introduced GX10A and GX10B payloads on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM-1 and ASBM-2), operating in Highly Elliptical Orbits (HEO). These extend coverage to the Arctic, supporting government and commercial users with high-capacity Ka-band services.

Interoperability with MILSATCOM: GX is the first commercial network interoperable with military Ka-band networks like the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system, allowing military users to access secure, high-capacity bandwidth. Its steerable beams operate in military Ka-band frequencies, enhancing flexibility for NATO and Five Eyes nations