Panasonic Avionics Corporation & Intelsat Sign Exclusive Agreement To Launch Industry’s Highest Bandwidth Aeronautical Network

Lake Forest, CA | July 25, 2012– Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic), the world leader in in-flight entertainment and communications (IFEC), today unveiled several significant advantages of its Global Communications Service as a result of its new agreement with Intelsat for up to 1 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) of capacity on the recently announced Intelsat EpicNG satellite platform.

With Intelsat EpicNG satellite platform, Panasonic is able to significantly enhance capacity over North America and the North Atlantic, which is one of the densest long-haul flight corridors in the world. In effect, Panasonic and Intelsat will create a ku-band aeronautical network that combines the industry’s highest bandwidth, and fastest possible data speeds for passengers, with the economical global delivery of uninterrupted live television.

Compared to other high bandwidth connectivity solutions including recently announced Ka-band networks, Panasonic offers up to six times more capacity in key areas of the Continental united States and across the North Atlantic. This translates into 80 megabits-per-second (Mbps) per aircraft and 200 Mbps per spot beam will be available to any aircraft flying these high-traffic routes.

Unlike competitive solutions, this capacity is solely dedicated to Panasonic’s aeronautical network, and will not be shared with any maritime, government, military or other service not affiliated with the company. The network also will leverage the necessary regulatory approvals to operate service that Panasonic has secured over the past five years. With Panasonic already operating a global Ku-band aeronautical network, airlines flying these routes will benefit from increased capacity without costly changes in antenna equipment or unnecessary aircraft downtime.

Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics Corporation said, “Our customers constantly look for new innovations such as broadband in-flight connectivity that revolutionize both the passenger experience and the operational efficiency of their fleets. With our new high throughput Ku-band network, we will offer airlines the highest bandwidth available, exactly where they need it most.”

Today, more than 1,500 aircraft have been committed to Panasonic’s Global Communication Service. Unlike alternative in-flight connectivity services where bandwidth is simply resold by the provider, Panasonic will manage the network, giving the company greater control over the quality of service.