Long-term commitment on Intelsat 29e will enable global provider of  in-flight entertainment and communication solutions to deliver enhanced services over North Atlantic aeronautical routes

Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of satellite services, announced today that Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic), the world leader in in-flight entertainment and communications, has contracted with Intelsat for up to 1 Gbps of capacity on the recently announced Intelsat EpicNG satellite platform, to be used in the delivery of aeronautical consumer broadband and live TV services.
Panasonic’s Global Communications Services provides in-flight broadband connectivity, mobile phone services and live television programming to airlines flying land-mass and transoceanic routes, globally. Today, this unique solution is available over the company’s global Ku-band aeronautical network.  With more than 1,500 aircraft committed to the Global Communications Services, Panasonic has selected the Intelsat EpicNG satellite platform to ensure the highest possible bandwidth for existing and future airline customers.
The multi-year agreement with Intelsat will enhance Panasonic’s broadband service by leveraging Intelsat’s broad geographic coverage and specialized beams, for the territory spanning the United States and North Atlantic, which is one of the busiest long-haul flight corridors in the world. With Intelsat EpicNG, up to 80 Mbps per aircraft and 200 Mbps per spot beam will be available to any Panasonic-equipped aircraft flying this high-traffic route.
The delivery of consumer broadband and television services for commercial flights is the latest development in the trend to be connected when on the move – whether on the ground, at sea or in the air – and one where Intelsat’s global satellite network enables broadband and video connectivity to virtually any point on the earth’s surface.
Panasonic’s services will be expanded in the near-term by using capacity on two satellites within Intelsat’s Ku-band global broadband mobility platform. These services will be complemented by high throughput Ku-band capacity on Intelsat 29e, the first of the Intelsat EpicNG satellites when the platform launches in 2015.  The Intelsat EpicNG satellites will be integrated with Intelsat’s industry-leading IntelsatONESM terrestrial infrastructure, which includes teleport and fiber services, to provide Panasonic with a complete network infrastructure.  The agreement also includes Intelsat 29e service on a wide Ku-band overlay beam for efficient broadcast of live television to Panasonic’s airline customers in North America and across the North Atlantic.
“This agreement demonstrates Intelsat’s success in delivering infrastructure for the burgeoning mobility segment, which we are addressing through the completion of our dedicated global mobility fabric in early 2013 and as one of the targeted applications of our Intelsat EpicNG platform,” said Steve Spengler, EVP of Sales, Marketing and Strategy for Intelsat.
“Our integrated satellite and IntelsatONE terrestrial infrastructure provides a high performance, global platform for mobility leaders such as Panasonic that require a geographically diverse and advanced broadband infrastructure.  Intelsat continues to support Panasonic’s industry leadership and its opportunities for growth through our innovative communications solutions. Only Intelsat provides a seamless combination of high-throughput spot beams and wide beams to deliver a combination of broadband and cost-effective broadcast,” said Spengler.
Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “As we continue to equip more and more aircraft with our broadband services, we are taking proactive steps that ensure the best possible connectivity solution for our customers.  With Intelsat EpicNG, Panasonic will use Ku-band technology to deliver to airlines the highest possible throughput capacity on a global, open architecture platform, without any costly changes to antenna equipment or unnecessary aircraft downtime.” Intelsat 29e will offer high throughput and high performance coverage spanning North America and South America, the North Atlantic aeronautical route and Western Europe. A complementary overlay to Intelsat’s existing fleet, the Intelsat EpicNG platform utilizes multiple frequency bands, wide beams, spot beams and frequency reuse technology to support a wide spectrum of media and broadband applications.

Panasonic Avionics press release