Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) has signed a multi-year agreement for Ku-band capacity on two, multi-beam payloads on the EUTELSAT 10B satellite that is due to be launched in 2022.
This contract with Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) will enable Panasonic to provide multiple gigahertz of new extreme throughput (XTS[1]) Ku-band connectivity to airlines and their passengers flying over a wide area across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Artistic rendition of the EUTELSAT 10B satellite.Image is courtesy of the satellite manufacturer, Thales Alenia Space.
Panasonic will continue to optimize its worldwide network and add more state-of-the-art satellite capacity in high-density regions to ensure it can deliver very high performance everywhere its customers fly. This satellite also provides high performance over lower density area such as Africa.
EUTELSAT 10B will be the second XTS satellite to join Panasonic’s connectivity network which has been developed to meet the growing connectivity demands of airlines and their passengers and is designed to place capacity where it’s most needed across the globe to meet demand. Today, approximately 2,200 aircraft flying routes all around the world use Panasonic’s global high-speed inflight connectivity service.
Panasonic’s connectivity network supports the provision of services such as high-speed internet, live television, video streaming, VoIP applications, 4G mobile services scalable to 5G, and greater bandwidth for crew applications. The network is backed by Panasonic’s Customer Performance Center, which proactively monitors network performance and upcoming maintenance needs 24/7/365 to support airline operational efficiencies.
Ken Sain, CEO of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said that the company is continuing to invest in its Ku-band connectivity network. This contract with a long-standing partner such as Eutelsat, with whom the firm has already worked with globally, illustrates the company's strategy to constantly expand the Panasonic Avionics worldwide network with additional capacity, to create value for airline customers and satisfy the needs of their passengers. The company has collaborated closely with Eutelsat on this satellite design and is excited to see these efforts come to fruition.
Philippe Oliva, Eutelsat’s CCO, added that this capacity commitment on the firm's upcoming EUTELSAT 10B satellite reflects the quality of coverage at Eutelsat's 10° East location, as well as the company's focus on developing competitive solutions to meet growing inflight connectivity needs worldwide.