Viasat announced that the ViaSat-3 F1 (VS3 F1) satellite is now in commercial operation.

Commenting on the announcement, Jimmy Dodd, President of Aviation Segment at Viasat, Inc., said: “This is great news for our aviation customers and the millions of passengers who use in-flight Wi-Fi services on the Viasat network.

“The entry of ViaSat-3 F1 into commercial service will significantly enhance the flying experience over North America, including the ability to stream content and stay connected with the world while flying.”

Craig Miller, President of Global Space Networks at Viasat, Inc., said, “Today’s announcement also represents a significant technical achievement for Viasat and signals the start of revenue-generating services from the first of our three ground-breaking ViaSat-3 satellites.

“Two additional ViaSat-3 satellites are currently in the final stages of production and testing. These include the recently successfully completed thermal vacuum test of ViaSat-3 F3 and the successful completion of mechanical environmental tests of ViaSat-3 F2.”

According to Viasat, while ViaSat-3 F1 experienced an antenna projection anomaly after its launch in April 2023, extensive in-orbit testing showed that all other systems on the satellite met or exceeded expectations. In addition, while the antenna projection anomaly resulted in a significant reduction in overall capacity, the resilience and high-performance specifications of the ViaSat-3 satellite system allow the satellite to continue to support high-speed broadband services for aviation customers in North America, where the satellite is based.