Intelsat and
Panasonic to Bring Broadband Service
to the Skies
6
May 2008
Intelsat,
Ltd., and Panasonic Avionics
Corporation (Panasonic), announced
the signing of a multi-year service
agreement that will result in the
next generation of in-flight
passenger broadband access.
Panasonic, known for delivering
state-of-the-art in-flight
technology, is introducing an
advanced satellite transmission
platform that will allow airline
passengers the ability to access
Internet-based information and
entertainment. The service,
Panasonic eXConnect, provides
passengers Internet connectivity.
The
platform will leverage Intelsat’s
existing GlobalConnexSM
Network Broadband service which is
available on Intelsat’s global
satellite fleet of 53 in-orbit
satellites, and regional teleport
facilities. By utilizing Intelsat’s
existing infrastructure, Panasonic
will be able to introduce eXConnect
in key regions around the world,
providing an efficient and cost
effective means to scale the network
capacity as demand grows.
Panasonic
eXConnect enables two-way broadband
connectivity that provides a wide
range of applications useful to both
the passengers and crew such as VPN,
live television, shopping, streaming
media, telemedicine, operational
applications and personal devices
integrated to the airline’s
in-flight entertainment systems.
With data rates comparable to ground
public Wi-Fi hotspots, eXConnect
offers airlines the opportunity to
further differentiate their
in-flight product with a valuable
service to their passengers.
"On-demand, mobile communications
continues to fuel the widespread
integration of cutting-edge
satellite services,” said Jay Yass,
Intelsat’s Vice President, Network
Services. “The agreement with
Panasonic further demonstrates
Intelsat’s ability to lead the
global satellite industry in
creating innovative data, video and
voice infrastructure solutions. The
Panasonic eXConnect platform,
powered by the Intelsat system,
delivers seamless broadband
connectivity to passengers who seek
Internet access wherever and
whenever they need it, enabling them
to stay connected while in flight.”
"At
Panasonic, we believe that true
broadband communication is an
enabling technology that will unlock
new efficiency and reliability
improvements in the aeronautical
world in addition to groundbreaking
passenger connectivity service,”
said Paul Margis, Chief Executive
Officer at Panasonic Avionics
Corporation. “We believe Intelsat
has the best in class satellite
communications systems to provide
Panasonic
with the satellite resources and
operating knowledge necessary for
the new eXConnect service to be
operationally and financially
successful.”
