In-flight entertainment and communications systems provider Panasonic Avionics, of Lake Forest, Calif., signed an agreement with operator Asia Satellite Telecommunications (AsiaSat) to secure additional Ku-band capacity on the AsiaSat 5 satellite, an agreement that will bring new capacity and improve in-flight connectivity service over the Middle East and India.
   The agreement builds on an existing AsiaSat 5 capacity lease that Panasonic signed in 2011.
   “The Middle East and India are two extremely strategic markets for Panasonic and our Global Communications Service, and we are very excited to have secured even more transponder space on AsiaSat 5,” Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Service Vice President David Bruner said. “As we continue to equip more and more aircraft that fly routes over these key, very high traffic markets, we will add the capacity and coverage necessary to ensure the industry’s highest bandwidth at the lowest possible price.”
   Panasonic’s Global Communications Service includes eXPhone, eXTV and eXConnect, which provide two-way broadband connectivity supporting Internet access, voice, data, and the ability to monitor and transmit airline operational data in real time at speeds of up to 50 Mbps to the aircraft.
   “We are very pleased that Panasonic Avionics Corp. has expanded its use of capacity on AsiaSat 5 for its in-flight broadband services. AsiaSat 5’s high power and wide Ku beam coverage have proved to be highly efficient for supporting not only ground- based fixed and mobile systems but also for sophisticated in-flight communication and entertainment,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
   Earlier this year, Panasonic signed agreements to add more Ku-band satellite capacity over Australia and Russia.
   For more on the trends and technologies in the in-flight connectivity market, visit Avionics and Via Satellite magazine’s In-Flight Connectivity Insider e-zine. For more, visit www.aviationtoday.com/av/in-flight-connectivity/