Ottawa-based TrueNorth Avionics is offering its Simphone all-IP cabin communications system as a solution for aircraft operators facing the imminent withdrawal of the Verizon Magnastar North American terrestrially based service.

The company has announced an upgrade offer that it describes as worth up to $11,000 for MagnaStar operators who trade up to the Simphone Chorus system, which combines in a single 4MCU unit two Iridium satellite voice and low-rate data channels with an IP-based private branch exchange (PBX), 802.11b/g WiFi, ports for Inmarsat’s Swift high-speed data service, and up to three VoIP/multimedia handsets. TrueNorth says the proprietary IP handset has the industry’s largest full-colour display, plus true sunlight readability, built-in noise-cancelling technology and an easy-to-use backlit keypad.

The Simphone upgrade is available through authorised TrueNorth dealers and is supported by a 24/7 dealer hotline and interactive Web portal. Calling services, including a global single-number capability, are supplied by Florida-based satellite service provider Satcom Direct.

Simphone (pronounced “symphony”) is an Ethernet-based cabin network that aims to support passenger communications very well while also being able to interface with IFE. “Currently aircraft can have a voice telephony network and a separate data network, and they sometimes don’t work well together,” explains TrueNorth president Mark van Berkel.
“Our vision is of a single network to handle both data and VoIP telephony, and to interface with IFE if required.”