3D model image of the SES 6 satellite
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

[Via Satellite 09-10-13] Panasonic Avionics Corporation a provider of in-flight entertainment and communications (IFEC), and global satellite operator SES have signed a major satellite capacity agreement to connect passengers aboard trans-Atlantic flights.

 As part of the multi-year, multi-transponder deal, Panasonic will use the newly-launched SES 6 satellite and its high-powered Ku-band mobility beams over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver a complete entertainment and communications package to keep air travelers in touch in the sky. The SES capacity will support Panasonic’s Global Communications Service, which provides passengers and crew with two-way broadband applications ranging from high-speed Internet access, voice, and live TV, to the ability for the airline to monitor real-time operational data aboard the plane. Panasonic has begun its expanded trans-Atlantic IFEC offerings with the initiation of service aboard the SES 6 satellite.

“This new agreement between SES and Panasonic Avionics is an important step toward meeting the fast-growing demand for inflight entertainment and communications services over key trans-Atlantic routes and beyond,” said David Bruner, vice president of Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s Global Communications Service.