Viasat Inc.: Recent Episodes
Viasat Inc.
The many ways in-flight connectivity can help airlines In this episode of the podcast, host Alex Miller speaks with Sumeet Singh, who serves two roles at Viasat: chief data officer as well as vice president and general manager of our Media and Mobile Apps division (MAPs). This conversation focuses on that second role, where Viasat is showing our airline partners how they can use the in-flight connectivity (IFC) services we offer to expand advertising and other revenue opportunities while also providing additional services and benefits to passengers.
Topics in this podcast episode include:
- A bit of background about Singh, whose diverse career in communications software, cloud technologies and technology partnerships, edge computing and even venture capitalism put him in an ideal position to explore the potential of Viasat’s IFC services
- The focus of the MAPs team in creating ancillary revenue for Viasat as well as our airline customers atop the core business of IFC — poised to reach upwards of 200 million passengers
- How advertising on aircraft is changing from the traditional seatback magazine to a diverse portfolio of other opportunities made possibly by IFC
- How ancillary revenue can help offset the cost of IFC for airlines
- The ways in which these business models could one day apply to other modes of transportation — from cruise ships to trains, buses, and more
- The direct access platform that has the potential to connect mobile phone carriers to the Viasat network for a seamless experience from ground to air
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, host Alex Miller catches up with Lena Hall, who is the new global head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at the company. The Howard University grad has an impressive history working in change management and is ideally suited to help Viasat move ahead with its DEI efforts in the coming years.
Topics covered in this episode include:
- Why most companies are paying a lot more attention to topics surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion
- How the ‘equity’ piece came to be included and what it means
- Addressing some of the pushback we’ve seen in recent years against some of the progress made in these areas
- What DEI might look like in the coming years for Viasat and other companies
- Turning DEI initiatives into action and how to embed it into company culture
Ongoing work with MOD and pending Inmarsat acquisition are top priorities
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller speaks with Keven Lippert, Viasat chief commercial officer, about the company’s business in the UK. Viasat has been active in the UK for a number of years — particularly with the Ministry of Defence — and is growing its footprint with new offices, more personnel and a pending acquisition that will greatly enhance its presence in the country.
Topics covered in this podcast episode include:
- A bit of history on Viasat in the UK, including our acquisition of Stonewood in 2010 that has been the foundation for the encryption products we provide for the UK Ministry of Defence;
- How the acquisition of RigNet in 2021 has also expanded our presence in Scotland with products and services for the energy industry;
- The upcoming ViaSat-3 constellation and how the second satellite over Europe, the Middle East and Africa represents another large investment in broadband infrastructure in the UK;
- The company’s new office in the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and our relationship with the UK Space Agency as well as the European Space Agency;
- The pending acquisition of global satellite operator Inmarsat and how it will enhance our network in the UK and beyond.
How the technology and a growing global network position Viasat In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller talks with Ken Buer, chief technical officer for our Viasat Arizona office, about phased array antenna technology and the shift to Commercial Satellite Internet (CSI) applications. As Buer explains, CSI is a pivot away from purpose-built satellites, such as those created by the U.S. Government, to a model where commercial satellite operators such as Viasat provide a more economical solution that also affords customers the latest, updated technology and a global network. He also details how phased array antennas with beam-forming capabilities will be key to realizing the most benefit out of CSI.
Topics discussed in this podcast episode:
- CSI improvements via a new generation of phased array antennas, which have the ability to electronically form beams to work with multiple satellites as well as for moving objects such as planes, ships and trains
- How several locations within Viasat are collaborating on phased array antenna designs aimed at improving their performance as well as reducing their cost
- How flat-panel phased array antennas can be ideal for things such as fighter aircraft, where the ability to move the antenna quickly is vital and the low-profile design reduces drag
- Viasat’s vertically integrated model and how Buer, as a system designer, says it give him the freedom to better optimizing how software is integrated with hardware
- The company’s ability to provide end-to-end security and capability
Forward-Looking Statement
This podcast discussion contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements about the expected benefits and performance of Viasat’s government business and military communications capability, and the ViaSat-3 satellite constellation. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; contractual problems, product defects, manufacturing issues or delays, regulatory issues, and technologies that do not perform according to expectations. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Satellites come in many shapes and sizes for a variety of missions. Here's a podcast version of one of our more popular posts on the Viasat Stories blog.
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In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller chats with Craig Miller, President of Government systems at Viasat. A veteran of over 25 years with the company, Miller took on the top job with the division in May of 2021. In this interview, he discusses his path at Viasat and gets into what’s ahead in the coming years as the defense landscape is shifting significantly.
Topics covered in this podcast include:
- The transformational changes coming to military operations and communications
- How SATCOM as a service enables defense forces to more quickly adapt new technology, stay up to date more easily, and realize more cost savings along the way
- Multi-domain operations and how they relate to the Department of Defense efforts to align communications within and between the branches of the military
- How Viasat is positioned to help with the National Defense Space Architecture effort being led by the Space Development Agency
- The crucial role of security amid growing threats and how Viasat’s well-established cybersecurity expertise gives it an edge
- The ways in which using multiple orbits and a hybrid approach could be the ideal solution for military SATCOM in the coming years
- How the upcoming ViaSat-3 global constellation has the potentialy to vastly improve the Viasat network’s capacity and coverage, all of which stands to greatly benefit our government customers
Forward-Looking Statement
This podcast discussion contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements about the expected benefits and performance of Viasat’s government business and military communications capability, and the ViaSat-3 satellite constellation. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; contractual problems, product defects, manufacturing issues or delays, regulatory issues, and technologies that do not perform according to expectations. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Viasat’s head of commercial aviation on how the industry is roaring back In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller welcomes back Don Buchman, vice president and general manager for Commercial Aviation. It’s been a challenging couple of years for the aviation industry, but as it pulls out of the pandemic slump, Buchman sees a growing trend for airlines to improve their in-flight connectivity service.
As passengers increasingly expect Wi-Fi in the air to perform like what they get at their homes and offices, Viasat’s high-capacity satellite network has been able to deliver that kind of experience. At the same time, Buchman says, airlines are looking at ways to add value in other ways beyond just connectivity.
Topics touched on in this podcast:
- The growing trend for airlines to up their game in the in-flight connectivity space
- How offering free Wi-Fi in the air can be a viable business model
- The ways in which streaming video is greatly increasing bandwidth demand and how Viasat is poised to address that
- New airline customers Viasat has added in the past year and the continued growth of the company’s Commercial Aviation division
- The rapid pace at which Viasat has been installing systems on aircraft
- The importance of “capacity density” when it comes to meeting demand — even at busy airport hubs
- Considerations around satellites in different orbits and how a future hybrid network could offer the best of all worlds
- The upcoming ViaSat-3 constellation and how its capacity and global coverage will be a boon for our airline customers
From the early days of dial-up to ultra-high capacity satellite ISPs like Viasat, a quick look of how internet has changed over the years.
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In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller sits down with Brendan Sullivan, senior vice president of Intelligent Edge Solutions. This is a new division of the company that includes Intelie, an operational AI platform that came to Viasat with the 2021 acquisition of RigNet.
While artificial intelligence and big data are certainly industry buzzwords, Sullivan offers some concrete examples of how operational AI can help sensor-dependent industries realize significant efficiencies, cost reductions, and added safety by making thousands of calculations a second. Combined with the connectivity power of Viasat, IES also offers video intelligence, cybersecurity, and the power of hybrid networks to bring sophisticated tech to remote operations.
Topics touched on in this podcast include:
- How the energy industry is benefiting from operational AI, as well as other areas where Viasat Intelligent Edge Solutions can be effectively applied in the future
- The ways in which digital augmentation can drive substantial savings with small tweaks that add up incrementally
- The importance of educating customers about the right way to implement an AI platform and interpret the data
- The current global presence of IES and how loyalty with its current customers can aid in Viasat’s global expansion
- How the connectivity power of Viasat will super-charge what Intelie can do, and how Intelie has the potential to be instrumental managing parts of the Viasat network
Ever wondered how satellite internet works? Here's a brief outline of how it's similar in many ways to traditional internet providers, but with a few key differences.
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In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller speaks with Viasat Chief Operating Officer Kevin Harkenrider. Promoted to the role last fall, Harkenrider speaks to the busy road ahead as Viasat prepares to launch and monetize its global satellite constellation, ViaSat-3.
Harkenrider has been with Viasat since 2006 and has occupied a number of different roles with the company in that time.
Some of the topics touched upon in this episode:
- Preparing for the global markets where ViaSat-3 will deliver service and navigating the regulatory landscape in a variety of countries
- Determining the role third-party partners will play
- How increased competition in the satellite internet market aligns with increasing demand around the world and Harkenrider’s view that there’s room for all to flourish
- The advantage of ViaSat-3’s flexible beam structure and how it enables more strategic placement of capacity
- How Viasat continues to position itself to be an employer of choice amid the backdrop of the shift to remote work and a more mobile workforce
- The importance of accountability across the organization as it grows globally
- Six traits of a leader where Harkenrider says he’s always trying to earn an “A” himself
Claudio D’Amico and James Person on how Viasat is addressing the challenge
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller speaks with two leaders from our Business Aviation division: Claudio D’Amico and James Person.
For business and private aircraft, in-flight Wi-Fi has moved quickly in the past decade from a nice-to-have amenity on board to a necessity — especially for business travelers using their time in the air to be online and conducting business.
Similar to how our expectations of what our internet service can do on the ground have changed, air travelers’ idea of what constitutes good in-flight connectivity has increased commensurately. Where once the ability to send a text from 45,000 feet seemed miraculous, now it’s possible to get speeds good enough to stream video and engage in video-chat meetings.
Viasat has been steadily improving its service to these users, with download speeds of 30 Mbps and higher now the norm, and with more advances on the horizon.
Some of the topics touched upon in this episode:
- How the introduction of Viasat Select has given greater value and flexibility to customers on our high-speed Ka-band network
- Some of the ways in which business and personal travel in these aircraft has changed over the course of the pandemic
- Who are the people flying on these aircraft? It’s not just CEOs and high-net-worth individuals.
- The importance of satellite capacity when it comes to delivering the bandwidth needed in flight
- Viasat’s ability to match a particular type of connectivity solution with the needs of the end users and the type of aircraft upon which it’s installed, as well as how the company is looking to expand its offerings to other airframes and markets
- How the increasing demand for more data is being met with our current fleet and how the upcoming ViaSat-3 constellation will vastly improve both capacity and coverage across the globe
In April, 2021, Viasat completed its acquisition of RigNet and, with it, its Intelie division.
Intelie was started in 2009 in Brazil and has been expanding globally since then. For this episode of the Viasat Podcast, we’re happy to have caught up with one of Intelie’s founders, Ricardo Clemente, to help us understand what types of tools, services, and expertise the company now brings to Viasat.
Evan Dixon, VP of Global Fixed Broadband Services, describes what’s to come for Europe with full operation of the KA-SAT satellite and upcoming ViaSat-3 constellation
With a global satellite constellation ready to launch in the near future and a number of changes recently announced, Viasat President & CEO Rick Baldridge has his hands full with a growing and diverse company.
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller speaks with Baldridge about his new role as CEO, along with other topics:
- A renewed focus on customer centricity;
- Executing the launch of ViaSat-3, a global constellation, in the coming years;
- How Viasat’s diverse business profile has helped it during the pandemic and will set it up for success in the years ahead; and
- Some thoughts on how he uses reflective time and extensive reading to continually renew how he approaches his job.
The company’s executive chairman addresses a growing threat to access to space presented by the rise of satellite mega-constellations in low-earth orbit (LEO)
Satellites launched by rockets into space may get a lot of attention, but equally important is the ground system back on Earth. Those connections are essential for making the link between the internet, the satellite and the end user.
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, host Alex Miller talks with Marc Agnew, who’s been working on this technology for decades at the company. As Vice President of Commercial Networks, Agnew has seen the technology for ground systems change dramatically, and he outlines some of those developments in this podcast.
With the upcoming ViaSat-3 global constellation, Agnew talks about how the miniaturization of the equipment, along with a shift of processing into the cloud, will enable the network to handle terabits of information.
Other topics discussed include:
- How ground systems work and a bit about their history;
- The growth of Viasat as a fiber optic player;
- The changes to the equipment at the home or business;
- The benefits of Ka-band for managing data; and
- The greater challenge low-earth orbit satellites have with antennas.
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller talks to John Williams, Vice President of Real-Time Earth (RTE) at the company. Following the news that RTE (LINK) is now a ground station ecosystem partner in the new Microsoft Azure Orbital service offering, Williams addresses what that means for the companies and their customers and what lies ahead for RTE.
Other topics covered in this podcast include:
- An overview of the RTE network, how it works and plans for growth;
- Williams’s outlook on Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) as a business in the coming years;
- How RTE enables more timely data downloads for earth observation and remote-sensing satellites;
- Some of the excitement and challenges surrounding the construction of the RTE site in Alice Springs, Australia; and
- Upcoming sites in the works for Northern Europe, Africa and beyond.
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller catches up with Eric Stark, director of sales for Viasat’s Global Business Services. Stark goes into the benefits of Viasat Business service, which includes primary and redundant service, Wi-Fi hotspots, SD-WAN and more.
Some of the topics discussed include:
- Myths of satellite internet regarding how fast it is, how well it works for VoIP and its reliability;
- How many construction managers rely on Viasat to stand up internet in places where terrestrial infrastructure doesn’t yet exist;
- How businesses with multiple locations can streamline their broadband needs with Viasat as opposed to using a patchwork of regional providers;
- How businesses can expand their broadband service with the business hotspot product; and
- Viasat’s plans to expand internationally.
In 2019, the division of the U.S. Air Force charged with managing the Department of Defense’s space assets and operations was split out into a new branch of the military. The Space Force is of particular interest to Viasat as a satellite communications company, and in this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller catches up with Ken Peterman, President of the Government Systems division at Viasat.
Peterman talks about some of the historic context behind the U.S. military’s service branches, as well as how space is being defined as a new fighting domain — just as land, sea and air are.
Some of the topics touched on in this podcast include:
- The vision of the Space Force and the critical role that will be played by commercial SATCOM providers such as Viasat;
- The unique strengths and capabilities that satellite communications providers to the American warfighter;
- The ability of services on commercial satellites to “hide in plain sight” from adversaries;
- How a flexible network that uses multiple technologies can form a resilient and seamless line of communication;
- The rapid advancement of SATCOM technology and how Viasat will play a role in that evolution going forward.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of people to adapt to work-at-home practices, it’s created an enormous shift in the data traffic patterns for internet service providers like Viasat. In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, host Alex Miller catches up with Evan Dixon, Vice President and Head of Residential for The Americas. Topics covered include:
- How demand has spiked during the pandemic, and how data usage has changed demands on our network.
- What Viasat is doing to prioritize work-from-home and school-from-home applications during the pandemic. Plus, how the company is working to deliver as much capacity as possible to our customers.
- How managing data traffic across the network helps ensure all our subscribers continue to get good service.
- Ways in which customers can adjust their own behavior to improve their experience in their homes and across the network.
- How what we’ve learned during this period will help improve and expand our service going forward.
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, host Alex Miller talks with Melinda Kimbro, Senior Vice President — People and Culture. As Viasat’s Chief People Officer, Kimbro oversees the company’s human resources and recruitment activities, and in this interview she talks about what makes Viasat such a desirable company to work for.
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, host Alex Miller talks with Claudio D’Amico about the changes happening in the world of connected aircraft. D’Amico is director of business aviation at Viasat, and in that role he’s focused on smaller jets operated by corporations, fleets and high net-worth individuals.
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, VP of Corporate Quality Simon Kuo speaks with host Alex Miller about the company's partnership with China Satcom aimed at connecting China's growing commercial air fleet.
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, Steven Mesnick, Vice President of Marketing, discusses how areas left behind by traditional, terrestrial internet service providers can find satellite internet to be a good solution. He also discusses the new hybrid product, new satellites in the works and some of the myths about satellite internet.
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, we talk to Cody Catalena, Vice President of Global Business Services for Viasat. In addition to being a good option for businesses outside the cable and fiber zone, Viasat’s Business Internet service also offers online continuity protection that Catalena says is something just about any business should consider.
With almost all types of businesses increasingly reliant on connectivity, having a “Plan B” for when primary service is interrupted is crucial, Catalena says. Whether it’s from a natural disaster, a fiber line cut by a construction crew of just a short primary ISP outage, a satellite backup with a failover router can turn a bad situation into a non-event.
In this interview with Alex Miller from Viasat Corporate Communications, Catalena runs through some of the basics about continuity service:
- Many businesses rely on cloud connectivity for a variety of business functions.
- Even a short outage can mean significant revenue loss for a business.
- Having a Viasat dish on the roof on standby is an affordable way to prevent outages from impacting business operations.
- Having continuity service through Viasat can mean a business’s primary internet can go down and business can continue uninterrupted.
In this episode of the Viasat podcast, we catch up with Steve Beeching, Managing Director of Viasat’s UK business. It’s clear the business Beeching heads up is growing, making key investments and developing cutting-edge, British-designed technology for the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD).
In an interview with Alex Miller with Viasat corporate communications, Beeching said Viasat’s UK business is growing its footprint in the UK and Europe and touched on a variety of topics:
- Modernization of ground and space networks for the UK Ministry of Defence
- Identifying the needs of the MoD to enhance its crypto technologies and cybersecurity capabilities
- Employing more economical and advanced technology capabilities with private sector entities such as Viasat
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, we talk to Kevin Harkenrider, Senior Vice President and President of Broadband Systems, about the company’s global expansion.
As head of Broadband Systems, Harkenrider oversees the company’s residential, business, aviation and maritime services, among others. In the next few years, with Viasat planning to launch a global constellation of satellites (ViaSat-3) aimed at connecting much of the earth, Harkenrider will be engaged in helping transition the company into a global internet service provider.
With residential service just starting in Spain, we catch up with the managing director of Viasat Europe
In this episode of the Viasat Podcast, Viasat Europe Managing Director Evan Dixon talks with host Alex Miller about the company’s activities in Europe. Some of the topics covered in the interview include:
- The recent introduction of residential service in Spain
- The challenges of meeting customer expectations in a variety of European countries
- How the upcoming ViaSat-3 satellite over Europe has the potential to greatly expand our offerings
- How Viasat is helping the European Commission reach its 2020 goal to have people in member countries have access to internet speeds of at least 30 Mbps
As president of Viasat’s Space Systems division, Dave Ryan is overseeing the ViaSat-3 project, which will create a three-satellite constellation of satellites affording global internet coverage. In this episode of the Viasat podcast, we asked Ryan how the project is coming along and touched on a few other topics:
- How Viasat is designing the entire system in a vertically integrated manner that should result in each satellite having over 1 terabit/sec of capacity.
- The advantages of using large satellites in geostationary orbit that can provide complete earth coverage with just three satellites.
- The changing role of satellites and the growing demand for capacity.
- How the ViaSat-3 constellation’s flexibility will enable it to shift capacity more effectively than any of our other satellites.
Building and launching three satellites spanning the globe is no small financial feat, something Viasat’s Chief Financial Officer Shawn Duffy can confirm. In this podcast, we asked Duffy what makes the ViaSat-3 constellation a smart investment, and how geostationary orbits provide advantages over satellites in other, lower orbits. Additionally, Duffy discusses Viasat’s unique and diverse business strategy and how that helps drive the company’s success.
In this podcast, Lisa Scalpone, Vice President and General Manager for Viasat Brazil, talks about recent developments in South America. With some contract issues now cleared up, Viasat has been able to step up the pace in its partnership with Telebras — Brazil’s state-run telecom. In addition to thousands of installations already completed at schools, health centers and other government facilities in Brazil, work is underway to add more types of connectivity services around the country using Brazil’s SGDC-1 satellite.
As Viasat’s Chief Technology Officer, Girish Chandran spends a lot of time thinking about the future of the connected world. In this podcast, which will appear in two parts, we spoke to Chandran about how satellite communications technology from Viasat will be an integral part of the digital ecosystem in the years to come.
Whether it’s connected cars, ships, trains, or aircraft, satellite will have a role in most of the “smart” technologies either in the future or already in use today.
As Viasat’s Chief Technology Officer, Girish Chandran spends a lot of time thinking about the future of the connected world. In this podcast, which will appear in two parts, we spoke to Chandran about how satellite communications technology from Viasat will be an integral part of the digital ecosystem in the years to come.
Whether it’s connected cars, ships, trains, or aircraft, satellite will have a role in most of the “smart” technologies either in the future or already in use today.
In this podcast, Viasat’s Ken Peterman talks about the company’s role bringing cutting-edge technology capabilities to today’s warfighter
Viasat VP of Engineering Kristi Jaska on the application of human-centered design element throughout Viasat's products and services
Viasat's Don Buchman sits down with Scandinavian Airlines team and reviews the new in-flight experience!
Myth Busters: Viasat’s VP of commercial aviation Don Buchman addresses misconceptions in the marketplace about the quality of Wi-Fi in the Sky.
Viasat’s VP of commercial aviation Don Buchman on the changing world of in-flight Wi-Fi