Bengaluru | March 13, 2019– Saankhya Labs, India’s leading wireless communication system and transformative technology solutions provider, has successfully demonstrated their new solutions for next generation communication technologies of 5G Broadcast and Direct to Mobile TV(DTM).

Saankhya Labs showed a technology demonstration of their patented 5G Broadcast solution at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona, Spain from 25^th to 28^th February. This is the first time in the world that a 5G Broadcast solution using the convergence of Broadband and Broadcast technology has been demonstrated anywhere in the world.

5G Broadcast is the next generation communication technology that is based on the convergence of Broadcast & Broadband networks. This solution enables telecom service providers to offload video traffic from their mobile network onto the ‘cellularized’ broadcast network. This will help decongest mobile spectrum use by offloading the video traffic that accounts for maximum data use. This will improve usage of mobile spectrum and increase the user experience by freeing bandwidth which will help reduce call drops, increase data speeds etc.

Video traffic is the fastest growing traffic on mobile networks. World over, about 60% of mobile data usage is of video content, and this is expected to increase to over 75% by 2022. The Indian mobile market is expected to grow to more than 850 million users. 5G broadcast will help unchoke the mobile networks from this huge video traffic.

This solution not only helps the Mobile Operators to free up bandwidth and provide a superior user experience, but also will help broadcasters to monetize their broadcast spectrum by reaching millions of additional mobile subscribers.

5G Broadcast has a wide variety of applications such as, Multimedia and Entertainment including HD TV to Mobile devices, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) Services. It can be a very effective solution for Emergency Broadcast Services, Internet of Things, Various Automotive applications such as Firmware Upgrade Over the Air (FOTA), broadcast of mapping and GIS data for Driverless Vehicles, Automotive Infotainment etc.

Saankhya Labs is providing a complete solution for 5G broadcast which include:

(1) ‘Cellularized’ Low-power Broadcast transmitter,

(2) Mobile receiver (USB device) based on its own chipset and

(3) the analytics and decision engine software on mobile network core which enables the switching between Broadband and Broadcast networks.

At MWC 2019, Saankhya’s 5G broadcast technology demonstrations generated a lot of interest among various telecom operators and broadcasters.

Apart from 5G Broadcast, Saankhya’s another solution called Direct to Mobile TV (DTM), will allow mobile devices to receive terrestrial Digital TV. As more and more people are watching entertainment content on portable devices, DTM gives the option to watch Free to Air Linear TV such as Live sports, news etc on their mobile devices without buffering and without a data network.

Both the technology solutions i.e. 5G Broadcast and Direct to Mobile TV are powered by Saankhya’s indigenous Pruthvi-3 Chipsets based on award winning and patented SDR architecture. Pruthvi-3 is a fully programmable multi-standard chipset that supports next generation communication standards. Pruthvi-3 chipset was launched last year in December by Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications, Shri. Manoj Sinha.

Parag Naik, Co-Founder and CEO, Saankhya Labs, said, “The majority of the content on mobile devices is in the form of videos. This exponential rise in video consumption poses a great challenge to network operators who are looking at efficient video delivery solutions. The offload of videos from broadband to broadcast under the 5G broadcast aims to resolve this issue. We at Saankhya Labs are working on several such next generation technology developmentsincluding our futuristic Cognitive RAN solution that can help build a more open and better mobile device eco system beyond 5G.“

Agreement furthers the U.S.-specific proposal which would protect C-band video and data transmissions and support accelerated 5G rollout by mobile operators

Luxembourg and Paris | July 12, 2018– Leading global satellite operators Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), SES (Euronext Paris: SESG) and Eutelsat (Euronext Paris: ETL) announced today that they are aligned on a market-based proposal for the future use of the lower C-band spectrum in the U.S. Eutelsat has agreed to join the breakthrough proposal initiated by Intelsat, Intel and SES.

The market-based proposal was developed in response to a proceeding initiated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The proposal reflects the unique U.S. telecommunications environment and aims to protect the quality and reliability of the extensive services provided by satellite operators in the C-band spectrum to U.S. broadcasters, media, and data companies. The proposal establishes a commercial and technical framework that would enable terrestrial mobile operators to quickly access spectrum in the 3,700 to 4,200 MHz frequency band in the U.S., speeding the deployment of next-generation 5G services.

C-band spectrum plays an essential role in the U.S. broadcasting ecosystem, delivering seamless distribution of video and audio programming to more than 100 million U.S. households, and reliably providing critical data connectivity in rural areas and emergency situations, as well as services delivered to the U.S. government.

The proposal specifies the use of a consortium, which is open to all satellite operators delivering services in the C-band downlink frequencies in any part of the lower 48 United States. The consortium will oversee the governance of the initiative, define and implement the methodology for spectrum clearance, and serve as the sole interface for market-based transactions with parties interested in deploying terrestrial mobile services in specific portions of the C-band.

With Eutelsat joining the proposal, the three satellite operators will continue to work with customers, other stakeholders, and the FCC on the market-based proposal. The next phase of this effort will begin with the FCC’s planned adoption of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Thursday, July 12. Intelsat, SES, and Eutelsat together represent a very substantial majority of the relevant satellite C-band spectrum in use in the U.S.

“We are pleased to be joining ths proposal which aims to create fair conditions for the shared use of C-band with mobile operators in the U.S. while protecting the quality of services provided to our customers over the long term,” said Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat. “By joining this collaborative process, we will be able to advance our interests and those of our clients and contribute to the momentum of the initiative.”

In a joint statement, Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler and SES President and CEO Steve Collar said: “We are pleased to have Eutelsat join Intelsat and SES in this endeavor, demonstrating that the industry is able to unite, collaborate and fully implement our market-driven proposal. Our solution is the only one which will maintain the high quality of the hundreds of incumbent services operating in the C-band today, protect the significant investments in space and ground infrastructure delivering these crucial services while also supporting the U.S. goal of accelerating the 5G era.”

Lake Forest, California | March 8, 2018– Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and APT Mobile Satcom Limited(APSATCOM) today announced a major evolution in connectivity for mobility markets – Extreme Throughput Satellite (XTS) service. APSATCOM is an affiliate of APT Satellite Company Limited (APT), the operator of the APSTAR satellite constellation.  With this new satellite, the companies are building on a long-standing and successful capacity relationship.

The new satellite, APSTAR-6D, gives Panasonic the capacity to meet the needs of its customers and to position itself for sustained growth in the region. In addition, Panasonic will continue to optimize its global network and add more state-of-the-art satellite capacity in high-density regions to ensure industry-leading performance everywhere its customers fly.

APSTAR-6D was jointly designed by APSATCOM and Panasonic to best serve Panasonic’s connectivity customers. It is tailored to put capacity where it is most needed, rather than spread evenly over the Earth. APT has provided technical support in design and project management, and will provide satellite operation after launch. This XTS satellite will provide Panasonic customers with multiple gigahertz of new Ku-band capacity over China and high-density routes around East Asia including Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia using narrow XTS spot beams.

In addition, APSTAR-6D provides HTS coverage over the full field of view of the satellite including the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Australia and the Southern Oceans down to Antarctica.  This includes areas not served by any other HTS satellite. Tailoring the capacity to areas of demand will provide Panasonic customers with better service, unprecedented coverage and the ability to dramatically increase throughput.

One of the markets to benefit the most from XTS service is air transport. Today, 21 Asian carriers, representing over 800 aircraft, have already selected Panasonic for connectivity service, including many of the region’s leading airlines, such asAir China, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Xiamen Airlines. In addition, other leading airlines around the world that are Panasonic connectivity customers will use this advanced satellite capacity as their aircraft fly routes to and over Asia.

Hideo Nakano, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, noted: “Today is a milestone moment as Panasonic leads the industry with plans for the next evolution in inflight connectivity. Targeted, flexible use of extreme high throughput capacity ensures that Panasonic can meet the needs of our airline customers for cost-effective and reliable high bandwidth services well into the future.”

Andy Fellows, Vice President of the Asia, Japan and China Regions for Panasonic Avionics, said: “This is a truly exciting milestone for connectivity customers across Asia, especially China. From the very beginning, we knew China was the fastest growing market for inflight connectivity, and we worked tirelessly with partners to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to expand service in this key region. With APSTAR-6D, we now have the future capacity we need to best serve customers in China and across Asia with an unmatched global connectivity service.”

Jason Li, CEO of APSATCOM, commented: “Since 2009, APT has provided Panasonic Avionics with key satellite capacity that serves the Asia region. APSATCOM is pleased to continue this relationship with APSTAR-6D, the latest milestone in improving satellite communications services for the Chinese and Asian mobility markets. This new satellite is an ideal solution for Panasonic’s roadmap for inflight connectivity services both in China and throughout Asia. We believe that its unique design will help Panasonic deliver unmatched satellite communications services for many years to come.”

This XTS satellite will be integrated into Panasonic’s recently launched third generation communications network, which isbuilt to meet the growing connectivity demands of airlines and their passengers.  This flexible network is designed to place capacity where it’s most needed across the globe to meet demand.

Panasonic’s third generation communications network supports the provision of services such as fast internet, video streaming, VoIP applications, improved TV picture quality and broader channel choice, 4G phone services, and greater bandwidth for crew applications.  The network is backed by Panasonic’s new Customer Performance Center, which drives improved network performance, greater reliability, and faster response and resolution times, along with business intelligence tools and reports that provide customers with the data and analytics to deliver and monitor targeted pricing and advertising campaigns.

Today, approximately 2,000 aircraft flying routes all around the world use Panasonic’s global high-speed inflight connectivity service.  The company expects more than 10,000 aircraft to be connected to its world-class global high-speed communications network by 2025.

United Kingdom | October 26, 2017– Inmarsat (LON: ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, and Deutsche Telekom, the leading integrated telecommunications company, have successfully completed the first flight trials to test both the satellite and complementary ground network for their European Aviation Network (EAN) service.

EAN is the world’s first dedicated aviation solution to combine space and ground based components to deliver robust, ultra-lightweight, high-speed inflight broadband to airlines. The recent flights demonstrated that EAN meets its design performance in practice; a significant milestone for the project consortium, as well as European airlines and their passengers.

Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom conducted the evaluation with partners Cobham, Thales and Nokia using a CESSNA 550 Citation II provided by Dutch company NLR. The aircraft was flown across Germany, Belgium, France and Spain, covering approximately 5,000 km of European airspace, to test integration of the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) and Complementary Ground Component (CGC) terminals. Further flight trials are scheduled over the coming weeks.

Inmarsat Aviation President Philip Balaam said: “These flight trials, together with the recent news that Ofcom in the UK is the latest European regulator to authorise the ground-based stations as part of the EAN, moves the project a step closer to commencing commercial service with our launch customer, which we expect to take place in the first half of 2018. This will be a game-changer for the airline market, offering passengers a new gold standard in resilient and scalable inflight broadband, with unmatched high capacity, low-latency performance.”

Inmarsat’s EAN satellite, which completed its in-orbit tests last month after being launched by Arianespace, works seamlessly with a complementary network of around 300 LTE-based ground stations, operated by Deutsche Telekom, using an Advanced Integrated Services Manager (AISM) platform. International Airlines Group (IAG), which includes world-renowned airline brands such as British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling, is the launch customer for the new service.

Rolf Nafziger, Senior Vice President, International Wholesale Business at Deutsche Telekom, said: “European airspace is one of the busiest in the world and passenger volumes are expected to double in the next 15 years, with an increasing number of people wanting to stream videos or send e-mails at the same time whilst in the air. A combined system that seamlessly integrates satellite connectivity with a complementary LTE-based network on the ground will create the much-needed additional capacity to meet demand now and in the future.”

A recent study quantifying the commercial opportunities of inflight connectivity, ‘Sky High Economics’, forecasted that European airlines which successfully deliver new broadband enabled ancillary services to passengers will benefit from an extra $8.2 billion in revenue.

· ViaSat Gains Connected Aircraft Software, Wireless In-flight Entertainment, Mobile Applications and Airline Document Management Expertise
· Arconics Brings A Complementary Set of Existing Commercial Airline Customers, Including Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Among Others
Carlsbad, CA and Dublin, Ireland | November 14, 2016– ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global broadband services and technology company, today announced it acquired Arconics, an innovative provider of software solutions to the aviation industry. Through this acquisition ViaSat gains broader expertise, aviation-grade software and mobile applications to make flying safer and more efficient for pilots, cabin crews and flight operations teams as well as applications that make entertaining passengers and opening new service and revenue opportunities for airlines possible.

The Arconics connected aircraft software platform enables the Arconics App Suite, which spans wireless In-flight Entertainment (IFE), Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), Airline Document Management and Cabin Management solutions, to communicate and share data with the aircraft and, using available connectivity, to connect with ground systems across mobile or avionics platforms. Today, tens of thousands of pilots, ground staff and cabin crew members across five continents depend on Arconics software to safely and efficiently operate their fleets. Airline customers include: Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Philippine Airlines, Tigerair Australia, SpiceJet and others.

“By acquiring Arconics, we are bolstering our ability to serve the global aviation market,” said Don Buchman, vice president and general manager, Commercial Mobility business, ViaSat. “We believe combining our strengths with Arconics will position ViaSat to be the market leader for connectivity, passenger services and flight deck applications and operations.”

Prior to the acquisition, Arconics had a partnership with ViaSat, primarily focused on serving the wireless IFE needs of multiple airline customers. Post-acquisition, ViaSat expects to also offer airlines real-time insight, control and agility of aircraft and flight data with highly-integrated, highly-customizable aircraft operations tools that tap into the power of ViaSat’s advanced high capacity Ka-band satellite network, which has more capacity in orbit than any other in-flight WiFi provider.

“ViaSat offers Arconics a strategic match – both culturally and technologically,” said Arconics Chief Executive Officer Niall O’Sullivan. “We know ViaSat well, having partnered with them on a number of opportunities to deliver our world-class CloudStore wireless IFE product. Together, we believe the complementary nature of the technologies and products of Arconics and ViaSat will enhance the combined company’s ability to deliver exceptional end-to-end experiences across the entire aircraft value-chain.”

In connection with the acquisition, ViaSat establishes a presence in Dublin, Ireland, and will continue to build its operations in Sydney, Australia. More than 30 Arconics team members with both technical and business expertise will join ViaSat, including Niall O’Sullivan. IBI Corporate Finance advised Arconics on the transaction. The transaction is not expected to materially affect ViaSat non-GAAP (pro forma) earnings for fiscal year 2017. However, ViaSat has not completed its valuation analysis and, accordingly, has not determined the impact to GAAP earnings.

• Advanced global in-flight connectivity solution goes live onboard selected flights, allowing passengers to browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more

Singapore | October 25, 2016– Inmarsat (ISAT.L), the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, today announced that its next generation in-flight broadband service, GX for Aviation, has gone live under a ‘soft launch’ phase with Lufthansa.

The landmark achievement was unveiled during an evening reception organised by Inmarsat for airlines, partners and the media at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, where the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) is currently hosting its prestigious annual exhibition.

GX for Aviation is the world’s first in-flight connectivity solution with reliable, seamless high-speed global coverage provided through a single operator. It allows airline passengers to browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more during flights, with an onboard connectivity experience on par with broadband services available on the ground.

Lufthansa will commence commercial passenger services with GX for Aviation next month. Other customers of the game-changing solution include Singapore Airlines and Air Astana.

Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “After several years of detailed planning and development, this is the moment that Inmarsat, and indeed the global aviation industry, has been waiting for. GX for Aviation is now live and offering unparalleled in-flight broadband to passengers. We have moved from systems integration and testing to rolling out the most robust and comprehensive global connectivity solution for airlines across the world.

“GX for Aviation is not a patchwork solution. Our customers are not subject to the intermittent services and handover issues experienced by other providers. Billions of dollars and years of engineering have been invested to ensure that GX for Aviation delivers a solution that is not just robust, but transformative. Passengers using GX for Aviation will have on-the-ground levels of connectivity and uninterrupted access to the applications they use day-to-day, including email, web browsing, social media, video and music streaming, and online shopping, among others.”

Inmarsat was awarded a contract in October 2015 to provide in-flight connectivity services for passengers onboard Lufthansa’s European continental fleet of more than 150 aircraft. The contract formalised the start of a 10-year strategic partnership between Lufthansa Group and Inmarsat, and provided a framework to extend the service to other airline brands in the Group.

The go-live of GX for Aviation follows a successful cooperation with Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Systems, which together with Inmarsat have started the process of installing the broadband solution’s hardware and software on selected aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet.

Airlines will connect to the GX network using advanced new JetWave terminals produced by Inmarsat partner Honeywell Aerospace, with over 300 aircraft already committed to the system and more to come. The exclusive terminals are designed for ease of installation and maintenance to assure the lowest downtime for any cabin connectivity solution in the market, allowing installation with minimal labour and using standard tools available in maintenance hangars.

• Europe moves a step closer to offering air travellers the most powerful broadband experience in the sky after first-of-its-kind connectivity network achieves key milestone

United Kingdom | July 21, 2016– Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, announced today that construction and associated sub-system tests of the satellite for its market-changing European Aviation Network (EAN) in-flight connectivity solution has been completed on schedule by Thales Alenia Space.

The key milestone was achieved on schedule following an extensive two-year build process in Toulouse and Cannes, France. The completed S-band payload module was shipped in early July to Thales Alenia Space’s testing center in Cannes, where satellite integration (‘mating’) was also successfully completed. The satellite is now undergoing rigorous system end-to-end testing before it is declared ready for flight in 2017.

EAN is the world’s first integrated satellite and air-to-ground network dedicated to providing a true in-flight broadband experience for Europe’s aviation industry and for millions of passengers who have been cut-off from fast, reliable and consistent broadband access during their flights.

The satellite has been custom-designed to provide mobile satellite services (MSS) to aircraft flying over the dense European routes, exploiting Inmarsat’s 30MHz (2 x 15MHz) S-band spectrum allocation in all 28 EU member states, plus Norway and Switzerland.

It will be integrated with a LTE-based ground network covering approximately 300 sites, operated by Inmarsat’s partner Deutsche Telekom. Aircraft will switch automatically between satellite and terrestrial connectivity using an on–board network communicator for optimal service delivery.

Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “The European Aviation Network has been specifically engineered to meet the connectivity needs of the aviation industry and is a cornerstone in our expanding worldwide mobile cellular network. It will offer unprecedented high-speed capacity at 75Mb/s with near zero latency while flying over Europe, so passengers can enjoy an easy-to-use true broadband experience for internet streaming, gaming and other online services direct to their personal smart devices. In addition, with no moving parts on the aircraft, the solution is not only lightweight, but also easy to install, very robust and low maintenance.

“The on-time construction of our multi-beam satellite, as well as Deutsche Telekom’s ground network of approximately 300 new LTE sites across Europe, highlights the rapid progress we are making with the European Aviation Network. The coming together of Inmarsat and market-leaders across Europe, including Thales, Deutsche Telekom, Nokia, Cobham SATCOM and OTE, on this ground-breaking development will strengthen Europe’s position as a global technology innovator and support the continued growth of its aviation industry.”

Over the coming months, Inmarsat’s new S-band satellite will be put in a thermal vacuum chamber with no pressure to simulate the space environment and cycled through extreme high and low temperatures to ensure it operates nominally. Mechanical and acoustic testing will then replicate the launch environment, followed by final phase testing to compare any shifts or variations in measurements against the initial base line. Once these tests are complete, the satellite will be prepared for launch by SpaceX at Cape Canaveral in Florida, scheduled to take place in 2017.

Michele Franci, Chief Technology Officer at Inmarsat said: “We are really proud to have achieved this major milestone on schedule and look forward to the extensive testing, which will ensure the satellite is free from defects and will be able to survive the harsh launch and space environments that it will face. This will include an end-to-end verification of all components to ensure that every component is operating within its defined parameters.”

• Inmarsat only international operator authorised to provide mobile satellite voice services in the country

United Kingdom | July 14, 2016– Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, has received type approval from the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its IsatPhone 2 technology, making it the only international operator legally eligible to sell handheld satellite phones in the country.

Working alongside local channel partners MCN Beijing (MCN) and China Telecom Satellite (CTS), Inmarsat is uniquely positioned to service the Chinese market and looks forward to meeting the strong demand generated across multiple sectors in China.

A key criteria for the Government approval was to have local infrastructure in the country. MCN, in partnership with Inmarsat, successfully completed its Global Satellite Phone Service (GSPS) gateway station in China at the end of 2014, receiving its official licence earlier this year.

Tim Johnson, Vice President of Inmarsat’s Enterprise Unit said: “This is a very significant announcement for Inmarsat and something we have worked hard on with our partners and the Chinese Government.

“Given the size and scale of the country, there is huge demand for reliable mobile voice communications in China. Provision of this type of communication technology which can be deployed quickly – and at relatively low cost – can provide significant benefits in terms of broader economic and societal development. As the need for reliable and remote communications in China continues to grow, driven by strategic initiatives such as ‘One Belt, One Road’, Inmarsat will be well positioned to capture that growth.

“There are several sectors such as mining and oil & gas, which regularly operate in remote areas of China and where currently traditional connectivity cannot provide the required level of reliable service cost-effectively. This announcement paves the way to meeting that demand.”

• JetBlue receives A321 from Airbus team in Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama | April 25, 2016– The first ever delivery of an aircraft from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility took place today, April 25th, in Mobile, Alabama. The entire team of employees from the American assembly line gathered to present their very first completed product, an Airbus A321, to JetBlue. On hand for the occasion were executives from Airbus, JetBlue senior management, including President and CEO Robin Hayes, and a broad collection of dignitaries from the Gulf Coast region.

“I am immensely proud to be here to participate in this first delivery from Mobile,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer – Customers. “Going from breaking ground on this facility three years ago to handing over the first Alabama-produced A321 today is an amazing accomplishment. It’s a testament to how well executed this project was and how strong the teamwork has been here in Mobile and throughout Airbus. The Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility has brought together all the best aspects of our other assembly lines around the world, and it shows how Airbus people work hand in hand with our partners to deliver great aircraft to our customers.”

Airbus announced its commitment to build a single-aisle assembly line in Mobile, Alabama in 2012, and less than one year later, broke ground on the $600 million (U.S.) facility. The ceremonial inauguration of the plant came in September 2015. The aircraft delivered today, a JetBlue A321, successfully had its first flight on March 21st, 2016.

In addition to the JetBlue A321 delivered today, there are currently nine other A320 Family aircraft in production at the facility. Airbus anticipates delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of 2017. The initial deliveries will all be A320 Family aircraft with the Current Engine Option (CEO), but will begin transitioning to New Engine Option (NEO) derivatives in late 2017.

In addition to hundreds of new Airbus jobs the project has brought to the local community, the Mobile area has seen many Airbus suppliers open new facilities in the region, providing even more employment and a parallel boost to the local economy. Airbus is proud to boast that 87 percent of its new employees are from the Gulf Coast region, with nearly one third being U.S. military veterans.

Demonstrating the adage “The Sun Never Sets on Airbus” – Airbus aircraft are now produced around the clock, 24 hours a day, at facilities in: Mobile, Alabama; Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; and Tianjin, China.

Today’s Hot Topic should really be titled “Bluetooth v3.0” but, to put the ongoing hardware convergence into perspective, we need to look at one concept driving PEDS, or in other terminology, Mobile Phones and Mobile Internet Devices (MID’s). And don’t worry, we have Inflight Entertainment impact…but we will get to that later.

The CS-LL concept can be described as the next movement in the mobile chip world who’s goal is to increase the “gozinta’s” and “gozouta’s” of mobile devices. As we rely more on portable electronics as our go-to device, the ability to interface with new sources such as cameras, Internet, DVD Players, iPODs, keyboards, mice, etc. and new output devices and locations like LCD screens, MP3 players, Internet, etc, your mobile device needs new connections at higher speeds, utilizing less power. Frankly, so does anything working with, talking to, and generally involved with IFE.

Remember the concept of hardware convergence in the first paragraph? Well the latest specification divulged by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group meeting, v3.0, really ramps up the possibility of much higher data rates…up to 24 Mbps! The new Protocol Adaption Layer mimics the 802.11 specifications and with 2 radios (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), the latest Broadcom devices allow bifurcated data channels that let the low speed information move thru Bluetooth connections and the high bandwidth content fly down the Wi-Fi highway. What once was 3 Mbps (v2.1) is now 24 Mbps, and by using the Wi-Fi protocols, better battery efficiency is an additional benefit.

Now, the IFE connection! Bluetooth v3.0 at 24 Mbps would have some potential for data loading. Assume that a 2-hour movie in H.264 or WMV might require 1.2 to 1.5GB of storage, so you can calculate the loading time based on the Bluetooth 3.0 level of deployment. With built in Wi-Fi protocols, one can imagine the flexibility of offering a data loader that operated in wired and/or wireless modes that could be offered as “one size fits all”…it adapts itself to the loading interface.

But the real interesting application is the one using your Bluetooth v3.0 MID on an airplane. That story has already been written and you can view that application in our premier edition of the IFExpress Special Edition – link below. Further, we really got interested in the cabin potential for this new version of Bluetooth after we wrote the story. So, we contacted Ron Chapman, the Australian IFE developer featured in the Special Edition about his expectations and view of Bluetooth in the cabin.

Ron told IFExpress, “The next generation 3.0 phone becomes your inflight video screen, particularly for those regional airlines that cannot afford to install the inseat or overhead IFE. Think of the weight, power, fuel, and cost savings! Safecell airlines will provide the very first step in this direction with some content capability. Both broadcast and individual download. Yes I know it’s a small screen but look at the Nintendo DS, where will it go with Bluetooth v3.0? When we created the Safecell concept in July 2006, I was of the opinion that if your cell phone can replace your camera and MP3, player then it will replace your DVD player – you don’t need to be Einstien to work that one out. So now, it looks like it can happen. With the amount content today’s generation handles and the integration of Bluetooth v3.0 into TV’s, all the IFE manufacturer needs to do is implement a short range low power chip in each screen/seat. Passenegers could then carry on thier own content and watch on the inseat screen (or vise versa) and no more cables to plug in. Obviously battery life is key, but at the moment phones are as good a DVD player and better than laptops on battery.”

• Kevin Kahn on Redefining Mobility: Carry Small, Live Large
• New Bluetooth 3.0 specification approved
• Bluetooth 3.0 arrives with promise of eightfold speed increase
• Wikipedia: Bluetooth
• IFExpress Special Edition: ASI SafeCell

31 March, 2009 – Passengers on Malaysia Airlines are proving some of the world’s most enthusiastic users of in-flight mobiles as they embrace the award-winning AeroMobile service.

The rapid take-up has taken place since Malaysia Airlines launched the service last November, with customers taking advantage of keenly-priced calls, text messages and data services. The in-flight service is available to many destinations across Europe, Australia and the Asian region, including China and Japan. On some flights, passenger adoption has exceeded 40%.

Data devices such as Blackberry are proving popular, with data traffic on some flights exceeding 2MB, the equivalent of 40 Blackberry users sending and receiving email.

The service has benefited from collaborative marketing initiatives with leading telecoms providers in Malaysia, many launching with highly competitive pricing. As an introductory rate, a leading Malaysian Telco is charging just 0.99RM (circa. 19p) per text message. Receiving text messages is free of charge. These rates are comparable to global terrestrial cellular roaming rates.

Malaysia Airlines’ Commercial Director Dato’ Rashid Khan said: “We are delighted with passenger feedback from AeroMobile’s ongoing marketing initiatives. In line with our aim to become the World’s Five Star Value Carrier we are committed to delivering unrivalled levels of service to our passengers.

“Our cabin crew is trained to provide guidance to passengers on the usage of inflight mobile devices while maintaining privacy and comfort for all other passengers. This includes ensuring mobile phones are switched to silent mode during flights.

“I believe this has contributed to the overall positive customer experience on this service,” he said.

Bjorn-Taale Sandberg, Chief Executive Officer of AeroMobile, said: “High awareness amongst passengers, competitive pricing and a reliable platform has seen our service with Malaysia Airlines reach new heights.

“Customer feedback has been very positive. The imaginative pricing, with texts for as little as 0.99RM as an introductory offer, has really driven up usage. As we expected, data and SMS usage has been prolific, demonstrating clear passenger demand.

“We are also very well placed to upgrade our capability with Malaysia Airlines as, uniquely, the Honeywell avionics are already in place on their fleet to enable future Inmarsat SwiftBroadband upgrades later this year”.

The first Malaysia Airlines B777-200 was installed with the light weight AeroMobile system during a routine maintenance check.

About AeroMobile

AeroMobile Limited is a UK-based company which is majority owned by Telenor ASA. Since 2003, it has been pursuing the objective of developing the safe use of passengers own mobile phones and PDAs in response to market demands.

AeroMobile is the first in-flight mobile technology to be commercially available and first flew in June 2005 on Boeing’s 777-200LR ‘Worldliner’ demonstrator aircraft. It was subsequently trialled with Qantas on over 1,000 domestic Australian flights in 2007, when GSM text messaging and GPRS data services were offered to its passengers.

In March 2008, the AeroMobile system made possible the first authorised in-flight calls on a commercial flight with launch customer Emirates. Since that time, over 160,000 Emirates passengers have used AeroMobile, and it is now available on 32 aircraft – a quarter of the airline’s fleet.

AeroMobile is also in service with Malaysian Airlines, and will be rolled out on V Australia aircraft later this year.

AeroMobile is teamed with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, the Panasonic’s market-leading in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems provider, to offer the AeroMobile aircraft technology under the eXPhone brand as an integral part of Panasonic’s IFE systems. The AeroMobile system uses existing Inmarsat satellite communications systems installed on commercial aircraft, and these will be upgraded at the earliest opportunity to Inmarsat’s latest SwiftBroadband service providing further features and capabilities such as GPRS mobile data services

In September 2008, AeroMobile won the “Best Achievement in Technology 2008” award from the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA).

More information may be found at www.aeromobile.net

Geneva, Switzerland, 30 March 2009 – OnAir today announced its 10,000th flight with the Mobile OnAir inflight connectivity service in commercial operation, making OnAir the clear leader in onboard connectivity both in terms of number of flights and airline customers. The milestone underlines the speed with which OnAir services are becoming commonplace onboard aircraft: the number of flights with the service is set to exceed 100,000 before the end of the year.

The 10,000th flight itself was a TAP flight from Lisbon to Munich. Since December 2007, Mobile OnAir services have been used on flights to 162 cities in 34 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Mobile OnAir uses the industry’s most advanced and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband. OnAir is the only connectivity provider operating flights which use the latest generation of Inmarsat’s I4 satellites. This gives passengers and airlines the best reach and performance available today for both voice and data.

Feedback from passengers and airlines underlines the growing popularity of the service thanks to its availability and ease of use – passengers use their mobile phones or BlackBerry-type devices just as they would on the ground.

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, commented: “This is a significant milestone and underlines how quickly our operations are expanding across a variety of markets. The feedback from inflight experience shows that phone use inside aircraft does not create any discomfort to passengers –
we have not heard of one single complaint. In addition, we are seeing a host of new applications which will deliver additional services.”

Confirmed demand for inflight passenger communications is reflected in the growing number of commercial airlines and private aviation companies which either currently offer OnAir inflight communications services or will offer them in the near future. This includes airlines such as AirAsia, AirAsia X, Airblue, British Airways, bmi, Jazeera, Kingfisher, Oman Air, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, Shenzhen Airlines, TAM, TAP and Wataniya Airways. In addition, OnAir is negotiating agreements with a number of major airlines which will be announced during the course of 2009.

OnAir also serves private VIP and Governmental customers through partnerships with Airbus Corporate Jets, Aviation Centre Cologne and Jet Aviation.

According to a recent passenger survey, 80% of passengers who have used Mobile OnAir services on selected flights would like these services to be available on every flight.

About OnAir

OnAir is the leading provider of inflight communications, enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight, and airlines to offer new services and generate additional revenues. Present on four of five continents, OnAir provides the only air-travel industry sponsored solution, now available to regular and low-cost airlines, to private and corporate jets, on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and on long and short-haul flights. OnAir is the only provider of services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet.

OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by SITA, the leading IT solutions provider to the air transport world and Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.

More information about OnAir is available at: www.onair.aero

Friday, March 20, 2009 – Cutting-edge communications for Emirates passengers reached a new milestone today with the first birthday of its world-beating in-flight mobile service with AeroMobile.

History was made a year ago today when the first authorised call on a commercial flight was made on flight EK751, flying from Dubai to Casablanca on March 20th 2008.

Since then, 160,170 passengers have switched on their mobile phone on an Emirates flight to take advantage of the ability to make and receive calls and text messages – more than 50,000 in the last three months alone as the service becomes more widely available and increasingly popular.

The AeroMobile system, which allows passengers to safely make and receive calls during flights, has now been fitted on a total of 32 Emirates aircraft, making it available on one-in-four of Emirates’ services. Emirates Engineering are installing the AeroMobile system on the rest of the fleet, with one aircraft being equipped every ten days or so.

Patrick Brannelly, Emirates’ Vice President, Passenger Communications and Visual Services, said: “Using this innovative service has now become second nature to our passengers who love the convenience of being able to stay in touch when they choose to.

“It has proved as popular with passengers on all flights to all destinations, not just businessmen and women but also leisure travellers. It’s ideal for just wanting to call home or make contact with family on birthdays or anniversaries.

“Typically about a third of our passengers are switching on their phones onboard AeroMobile-equipped aircraft, so it’s clearly a popular service. We do see many though, that switch on their phone but don’t necessarily use it, showing that they like the idea of being contactable. It’s clear that passengers prefer using their own phone which they are familiar with, rather than the seatback phone.

“The early concerns about potential impact on other passengers have proved, as expected, to be unfounded. We very rarely see multiple calls at the same time, and most calls are shorter than a couple of minutes. Texting using sms has been very popular. The feedback from our customers has been full of enthusiasm.”

The AeroMobile service is being rolled out across the Emirates fleet and is currently operating on five aircraft types, the Boeing 777-200s and 777-300s, plus the Airbus A340-300, A340-500 and A330-200. It is due to be installed on the Boeing 777-300ER from May.

AeroMobile CEO Bjorn-Taale Sandberg said: “With our service firmly established on an increasing number of Emirates’ aircraft, the usage level amongst passengers has increased at a faster pace.

“We’re particularly proud of the quality of the voice service and overall reliability. The comment we most often hear is that people receiving calls from our customers in-flight can’t believe they are calling from 35,000 feet.

“We are looking forward to more growth and rising user numbers throughout 2009 to cement a great first year.”

About AeroMobile

AeroMobile Limited is a UK-based company owned by Telenor ASA and Arinc. It has been pursuing the objective of allowing the safe use of passengers own mobile phones and PDAs since 2003 in response to market demands.

In September 2008, AeroMobile won the “Best Achievement in Technology 2008” award from the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA).

Prior to the launch of the Emirates service, mobile phone use in aircraft has only been allowed in limited, short-term trials which did not support voice calls.

AeroMobile is the first in-flight mobile technology to be commercially available and first flew in June 2005 on Boeing’s 777-200LR ‘Worldliner’ demonstrator aircraft.  In April 2007, AeroMobile implemented a trial service on domestic flights within Australia. This evaluation project, supporting GSM text messaging and GPRS data services, continued until January 2008 having operated on over 1,000 flights.

AeroMobile is teamed with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, the Panasonic’s market-leading in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems provider, to offer the AeroMobile aircraft technology under the eXPhone brand as an integral part of Panasonic’s IFE systems. The AeroMobile system uses the existing Inmarsat satellite communications systems installed on all Emirates aircraft. These systems will be upgraded at the earliest opportunity to Inmarsat’s latest SwiftBroadband service providing further features and capabilities such as GPRS mobile data services.

More information may be found at www.aeromobile.net

Geneva, Switzerland, 23 February 2009 – oneworld member Royal Jordanian today launched mobile inflight passenger communications services from industry leader OnAir. The new commercial service, which will be available in the first phase on its recently received A319 aircraft flying to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and India, will enable passengers to stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive text messages and emails, make and receive phone calls and access the Internet. Passengers will also be able to access the Internet using their own laptops fitted with GSM data cards.

“Royal Jordanian has always been a leader in e-travel—from providing passengers with the ability to book online to issuing e-tickets, making online seat reservations and using self check-in kiosks at the airport,” said Samer Majali, President and CEO, Royal Jordanian. “We are very pleased to partner with industry leader, OnAir, to offer the latest passenger communications technology onboard our aircraft, and we expect these new capabilities to further enhance the high-quality customer service that our passengers have come to expect from Royal Jordanian.”

Mobile OnAir uses the industry’s most robust and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high capacity services from Inmarsat 4th generation satellites. With OnAir’s advanced mobile communications technology, Royal Jordanian passengers will benefit from global coverage and high-speed connectivity.

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, commented: “Royal Jordanian operates in a highly competitive and demanding market, in which service excellence is critical. They were the first airline in the Middle East to announce a partnership with us back in December 2007, and we are pleased to offer the highest available standard of connectivity to their passengers, while at the same time helping them generate additional revenues.”

The Royal Jordanian launch comes amidst mounting demand for inflight passenger communications. A growing number of commercial airlines and private aviation companies either currently offer OnAir inflight communications services or will offer them in the near future. This includes airlines such as Air Asia, AirAsia X, Airblue, British Airways, bmi, Jazeera, Kingfisher, Oman Air, Ryanair, Shenzhen Airlines, TAM, TAP and Wataniya Airways. OnAir also serves private VIP and Governmental customers through partnerships with Airbus Corporate Jets, Aviation Centre Cologne and Jet Aviation.

Since December 2007, passengers have used Mobile OnAir services on around 2,500 commercial flights to more than 74 cities in 34 countries in Europe and North Africa. According to a recent passenger survey, 80% of passengers who have used Mobile OnAir services on selected flights would like these services to be available on every flight.

About OnAir
OnAir is the leading provider of inflight communications, enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight, and airlines to offer new services and generate additional revenues. Present on four of five continents, OnAir provides the only air-travel industry sponsored solution, now available to regular and low-cost airlines, to private and corporate jets, on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and on long and short-haul flights. OnAir is the only provider of services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet.

OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by SITA, the leading IT solutions provider to the air transport world and Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.

More information about OnAir is available at www.onair.aero.

About Royal Jordanian
Royal Jordanian, which has become a private company since December 2007, was established in 1963 as the national air carrier of Jordan. Its vision is to be the Airline of choice connecting Jordan and the Levant with the world.

The airline is located in the heart of the capital, Amman, and its flights are operated from Queen Alia International Airport. Its modern fleet of 29 aircraft covers 56 destinations on four continents. RJ is also a member in the oneworld airline alliance, along with big names in the air transport industry. The company continuously reviews its plans to improve its air and ground services, broaden its route network and modernize its fleet.

For further information, please visit www.rj.com.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, today (19th Feb.) launched its inflight mobile phone service initially onboard 20 of its (mainly) Dublin based aircraft. This is the first step in fitting Ryanair’s entire fleet of over 170 aircraft to allow all passengers to make and receive mobile calls and texts on all Ryanair flights.

Passengers on Ryanair’s 20 OnAir enabled aircraft can now make and receive voice calls at (non–EU) international roaming rates (£1.50-£3 pm) text messages (40p+) and email (£1-£2) using their mobile phones, BlackBerrys and other smartphones. These price tariffs are set by each mobile service provider and are subject to each customer’s individual price plan.

The service will initially be available to “O2” customers and to customers of over 50 other mobile phone operators across Europe. At the launch OnAir confirmed that it is working with other UK mobile operators (“Vodafone”, “Orange” and “3”) to ensure that their customers can also keep in touch with the office, family and friends when travelling.

Michael O’Leary said:

“Today’s launch by Ryanair and OnAir is the first step to offering in-flight mobile phone services onboard our entire fleet of over 170 aircraft over the next 18 months. This service will allow passengers to keep in touch with the office, family or friends. We expect customer demand for this service to grow rapidly and hope that customers of all UK mobile operators will soon be able to call or text home from 30,000 feet to tell loved ones of yet another on time Ryanair flight.”

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said,

“Mobile OnAir is the most advanced inflight communications service in the world and this European fleet-wide rollout marks a real milestone in aviation. We are proud to work with Ryanair, the world’s largest international scheduled airline, and to provide their 67 million passengers with access to this new technology which will enable them to send and receive emails, text messages, download attachments and make and receive calls just as they would on the ground.’

About OnAir

OnAir is the leading provider of inflight communications, enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight, and airlines to offer new services and generate additional revenues. Present on four of five continents, OnAir provides the only air-travel industry sponsored solution, now available to regular and low-cost airlines, to private and corporate jets, on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and on long and short-haul flights. OnAir is the only provider of services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet.

OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by SITA, the leading IT solutions provider to the air transport world and Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.

More information about OnAir is available at www.onair.aero.