Panasonic Avionics Improves In-Flight Connectivity Over South America with Telesat Satellite

Panasonic (News - Alert) Avionics Corporation recently turned to Telesat's new Anik G1 satellite to enhance its in-flight connectivity service over South America.

Panasonic Avionics, a company that provides in-flight entertainment and communication (IFEC) systems on over 3,700 aircraft, took this major step to increase the capacity of in-flight broadband services and also to back its unique eXTV live in-flight television service.

David Bruner, vice president of Global Communication Services for Panasonic Avionics, said, "The strategic upgrade of our global Ku-band aeronautical network with Anik G1 clearly demonstrates a key advantage of our service offering.”

Bruner said that the company has the unique ability to scale coverage and capacity anywhere in the world where its customers fly. This flexibility not only helps guarantee that they will always provide the best coverage for airlines, but also that they will continue to offer the highest bandwidth for the lowest price per bit.

eXTV, which launched in 2011, includes live content from BBC World News, BBC Arabic, Euronews and the exclusive Sport 24 live sports channel produced by IMG. Sport 24 has already enabled passengers to watch live coverage of major global sporting events including the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the British Open, Formula 1, Wimbledon, and other world-class sporting events, many of which continue to be broadcast in 2014.

With the 2014 World Cup in Brazil right around the corner, the extra capacity will enable fans to watch the exclusive Sport 24 network, which is offered in conjunction with IMG Media, and catch key matches while travelling to South America and even to the tournament.

Nigel Gibson, vice president of International Sales for Telesat (News - Alert), said, "We applaud Panasonic for establishing a robust aero network that is able to meet South America's growing communications needs. Telesat now has five satellites serving Latin America and is pleased to be supporting innovative providers like Panasonic who are ready to capitalize on the favorable demand trends across the region."