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Viasat says its JetXP in-flight connectivity service now delivers five times more capacity across the United States for customers on Honeywell JetWave terminals. The capacity boost, initially offered over the Eastern U.S., is now available nationwide, with Viasat putting an emphasis on consistency over peak speed. Owners interested in the upgrade can confirm eligibility through Collins Aerospace, Gogo or Honeywell. Claudio D'Amico, Viasat's vice president of OEMs, partners and fleets for business aviation, told GlobalAir.com at NBAA-BACE the work can be done in "a few minutes as the aircraft's getting powered up and started." The obvious challenger is Starlink, whose Aviation Global Unlimited plan now costs $20,000 a month, double its previous price. Low Earth orbit (LEO) networks hold the latency advantage over geostationary orbit networks, and D'Amico did not disagree. "We do believe that latency will play a key role in the long term," he said. Viasat's strength today is performance under load. D'Amico called decisions based on peak speed the industry's key misconception. "You can do a speed test and you can get 200 megabits per second and think that things are working fantastically," until they aren't. He said the network can focus capacity where demand sits, such as Teterboro and Van Nuys, and argued that a LEO-only constellation "doesn't have the capability to deliver that performance" as the network fills up. Viasat's latency answer is slated for late 2027 Viasat announced in November 2025 that it would add Telesat Lightspeed LEO capacity to JetXP, with commercial service scheduled for late 2027 and an additional flat-panel antenna required. Until then, geostationary satellites remain what D'Amico calls the foundation. "It's not about one orbital slot," D'Amico said. "It's about how you architect a solution to deliver on the needs of customers." Arctic coverage for ultra-long-range jets flying northerly routes is another gap that's about to be filled. D'Amico said Viasat will be launching highly elliptical orbit satellites covering the North Pole will reach business aviation customers in the first quarter of 2027. The coverage will be rolled out as a software update for "the vast majority of our customers." Additionally, there are a few large corners of the globe where Viasat truly stands apart from the competition. "You get over an area like India or China and your (LEO) system doesn't work." A soft spot worth mentioning because, according to Viasat, JetXP holds regulatory approvals in both countries. What Happens Next Two dates to pay attention to: the Arctic layer in the first quarter of 2027 and Telesat LEO service, projected to be launched in late 2027. In the meantime, existing JetWave users have an easy path to the added capacity.