Satcom Direct (Booth D051, Static Display) this week launched GlobalVT, a service enabling use of personal smartphones for phone calls, texting and use of data services aboard business jets from takeoff to landing anywhere in the world. Global VT works through the Satcom Direct SDR router via Inmarsat SwiftBroadband or ViaSat Yonder service, and is compatible with both IOS and Android phones.

The company’s SDR routers are currently installed on more than 100 business jets, and the company has STCs for installation on aircraft of all OEMs. For the phone service, Satcom charges a one-time GlobalVT license and a monthly fee, and users also pay roaming charges incurred for the phone calls and texting.

At a demonstration aboard a Falcon 50 on static display here at EBACE, John Peterson, director of new product development, quickly connected to the system via Wi-Fi on his smartphone and then exchanged texts and a phone call with Ken Bantoft, vice president of technologies and development, who was standing outside on the ramp. Connection time and voice quality were both excellent.

The system uses Satcom Direct’s proprietary voice codec designed for aircraft communications over satellite networks, minimizing problems associated with latency and providing clear voice quality. Satcom hasn’t made prices public, but chief commercial officer Chris Moore said the license and monthly fee vary depending on various services plans. The SDR router costs $35,000 and weighs 8.6 pounds, and installation requires three days to a week.

Satcom Direct also announced here an expansion of its training program, which was unveiled last year at EBACE. The company will now offer its new AeroIT certification to international clients. Launched in the U.S. in March, this is the worlds’ first information technology certification for aviation, according to the company, providing aircraft technicians with broad knowledge of airborne communications systems.