Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation and provider of in-flight entertainment equipment, has finally completed its commercial agreement with Australian Satellite Communications (ASC). The company will now be commencing its service using a full transponder of Ku-band capacity on the Eutelsat 172A satellite. The terms of agreement state that Panasonic will be using the capacity on the satellite’s South Pacific Bea, while the uplinking and downlinking of the services will be done from the Adelaide teleport of ASC.
With the help of the Ku-band capacity, it will support the Global Communications Service offered by Panasonic. These include eXConnect, which allows two-way broadband connectivity supporting a series of passenger and crew applications, such as Internet access, voice, data, and the ability to monitor and transmit airline operational data in real time, and eXTV — a TV platform that provides live news and sport programming during the flight.
The previous capacity leasing agreement of Panasonic with ASC has expanded for airline routes over Australia, New Zealand and trans-Tasman flights, all thanks to the significant growth of bandwidth requirements.
“We are very excited to build upon our good relationship with Australian Satellite Communications and provide even more capacity for our Global Communications Service,” Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s Global Communications Service VP David Bruner said in a company statement. “This milestone highlights our unique ability to add capacity and coverage to key areas around the globe to ensure the best possible performance and lowest possible cost for our airline customers. It also ensures seamless delivery of our eXTV service in the South Pacific region, which includes live programming such as news and the world’s most popular sporting events with Sport 24.”
Complementing the statement of Bruner, ASC General Manager Mark Borgas noted: “We are very pleased that Panasonic Avionics Corporation has expanded its commitment with ASC for its in-flight broadband services. We take great pride in delivering high-quality services from our teleport in Adelaide to meet the stringent requirements for sophisticated in-flight communication and entertainment, as required by Panasonic.”
