First Europe-wide integrated LTE network created with 300 base stations

European Aviation Network satellite launched, tested and ready for service

Fast broadband access in the sky for passengers and airlines

British Airways, part of IAG Group, first commercial customer

Bonn | February 5, 2018– Deutsche Telekom and Inmarsat have, together with their technology partner Nokia, completed the key technological step in the development of the European Aviation Network (EAN), the world’s first integrated S-band satellite and complementary LTE-based terrestrial network built for Europe.

With the set-up of around 300 base stations across all 28 member states of the European Union, as well as Switzerland and Norway, the ground network component of EAN has become the first ever Europe-wide integrated LTE network. The completion of the network follows Inmarsat’s successful launch of its EAN satellite last summer, which has since been extensively tested in orbit and has been fully operational since September 2017.Unmatched Connectivity for Passengers

Serving the aviation industry and its passengers, the European Aviation Network is a pioneering technological achievement and a truly innovative European project. It provides seamless connectivity over land and water, and offers a high bandwidth service to passengers – currently over 75 Mbit/s connection speed to the aircraft – as airlines using the service do not share network capacity with any non-aviation customers. Passengers will be able to use social media, share pictures and stream high-bandwidth content at speeds they are used to experience at home.

EAN is also designed to fulfill not only current but also future passenger demand for inflight connectivity as the integrated LTE ground network is fully scalable to meet increasing connectivity needs in the coming years.Game-changer for Airline Industry

The European Aviation Network will be available for airlines to offer commercially from H1 2018, serving as a game-changer for airlines and their customers. The service has been trialed during several flights to test the integrated satellite and complementary LTE ground network. The test flights have confirmed that EAN meets its design performance in practice, providing an unmatched low-latency performance of less than 100 ms.

Airlines will be able to install the small and light-weight EAN equipment quickly and easily, typically during overnight breaks for individual aircraft and turnaround times for entire fleets of just a few months.

International Airlines Group (IAG), which includes airline brands such as British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling, is the launch customer for the new service and has already commenced installations of EAN equipment on aircraft.

“With the completion of the first ever integrated pan-European LTE ground network component we are now able to fully support EAN’s satellite connectivity and maximize the performance of the EAN system,” said Rolf Nafziger, Senior Vice President, International Wholesale Business at Deutsche Telekom. “The network is specifically designed to meet future capacity demands for connectivity in the European airspace, with passenger volumes expected to double in the next 15 years.”

“EAN is the world’s first dedicated aviation connectivity solution which effectively combines space and ground-based components, overcoming the traditional limitations of inflight internet,” said Frederik van Essen, Senior Vice President at Inmarsat Aviation. “Bringing connectivity to the skies is a complex effort and we could only realize this through strategic collaboration with our European partners.”

“EAN’s ground network had to meet technical prerequisites that are quite different from ‘normal’ LTE networks: it needs to work at speeds of up to 1,200 km/h, at heights of 10 km and requires large cells of up to 150 km,” said Thorsten Robrecht, Vice President Vertical Network Slices at Nokia. “Our joint endeavor breaks the technological boundaries between ground and air on connectivity”

For more information on the European Aviation Network, please visit www.europeanaviationnetwork.com      

• The Un-carrier takes the worry out of summer travel to the No.1 overseas destination, with unlimited high-speed data across all of Europe all summer long—at absolutely no extra cost
• Stateside travelers, including Verizon and AT&T customers #GetThanked too with a free, full hour of Gogo Wi-Fi on ALL flights this weekend

Bellevue, WA | June 23, 2016– T-Mobile just showed again why it is the Official Sponsor of Summer.* The Un-carrier today announced it’s unleashing summer travel, giving customers unlimited high-speed data, up to 4G LTE speeds, throughout Europe all summer long. But, of course, T-Mobile didn’t stop there. For those travelling this weekend, T-Mobile announced it’s giving absolutely everyone – including Verizon and AT&T customers who never get thanked by their carrier – a full, free hour of Wi-Fi on all Gogo-equipped domestic flights—just to show everyone what it feels like to #GetThanked with the Un-carrier.

On top of that, T-Mobile today announced that Un-carrier customers can roam worry-free in Belize starting July 1st. Belize is joining the long list of 140+ countries and destinations where Simple Choice customers get unlimited data and texting and low, flat-rate calling while travelling abroad.

“The carriers see your summer trip as the perfect occasion to slam you with insane international roaming charges. When you travel with the Un-carrier, you’ll never come home to surprise overages or crazy fees,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “Travel with T-Mobile, and you can use your phone the way you want to without thinking twice! Share every fantastic moment and don’t pay a penny more for your data!”

Cut Loose and Stay Connected this Summer in Europe
Far and away the single most popular overseas travel destination every summer is Europe, where more than 2.5 million Americans are expected to vacation this summer. So, starting July 1st all the way through August 31st, T-Mobile’s giving Simple Choice customers unlimited high-speed data across all of Europe** – all at absolutely no additional cost – so you can share, Skype, snap and scope every moment of your European holiday. Customers get the highest available data speeds wherever they travel across the continent. And, as always, texting is free around the globe with T-Mobile, and calls are just 20 cents a minute throughout Europe and a host of other destinations.

That couldn’t be more different than the carriers’ approach to tax and toll everything you do with your phone outside the country. For example, if a Verizon customer used their phone normally during a two-week holiday in Rome, they could come home to upwards of $2,730 in international roaming fees.

If you travel with T-Mobile, your phone just works – exactly like it should – at exactly $0 extra for unlimited data and texting. And the best part? Customers don’t have to lift a finger to get these Un-carrier benefits. All of which makes T-Mobile the only choice for summer travel.

This Weekend, Everybody Flies Like a T-Mobile Customer
Just a few weeks after unveiling Un-carrier 11, an industry-rocking move dedicated to thanking customers, the Un-carrier’s now offering everyone a chance to #GetThanked like a T-Mobile customer. The millions of Americans expected to fly this weekend can get a taste of what it means to be part of the Un-carrier—even those long-abused AT&T and Verizon customers.

Starting this Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26, passengers on any domestic flight with Gogo service can automatically get one free hour of Wi-Fi on their smartphone, courtesy T-Mobile. That’s a free full hour coming and going on every flight with Gogo service—more than 33,000 flights this weekend alone!

“We want to show everybody what it feels like to #GetThanked and travel like a T-Mobile customer!” said Legere.

While this offer for everyone flying this weekend ends Sunday at 11:00pm ET, T-Mobile customers will always enjoy free messaging and texting all flight long, plus a full free hour of Gogo Wi-Fi on your smartphone on all Gogo-equipped domestic flights, courtesy the Un-Carrier. For more information on what it’s like flying with T-Mobile, visit www.t-mobile.com/offer/free-in-flight-wifi-texting-uncarrier.

Belize Completes the Picture for South & Central America
Finally, for the tens of thousands of Americans who travel each year to Belize to enjoy its natural beauty and pristine beaches, T-Mobile also announced that Belize is will be part of Simple Global starting July 1st. Meaning T-Mobile customers can travel to all 20 countries in South & Central America – from the tip of Patagonia in Chile to that scuba spot in Belize – and never have to worry about data roaming or texting charges.

With Simple Global, which launched in 2013, T-Mobile Simple Choice customers get unlimited data and texting and low, flat-rate calling for just 20 cents a minute in over 140 countries and destinations around the world.

For more information about travelling with T-Mobile, check out http://www.t-mobile.com/optional-services/roaming.html.

London, UK | October 23, 2014– With a suite of new technologies onboard, the first Virgin Atlantic 787 Dreamliner will take to the skies on 26th October from London Heathrow to Boston. As one of the most efficient aircraft in its class, a key to its performance is its new technology and innovative design.

Dave Bulman, Director of Technology commented: “The 787 is a revolutionary aircraft and new technology allows it to perform more efficiently than any other aircraft of its size. We recognise that technology is an extremely important part of a customer’s journey, whether they are flying for business or pleasure, and this aircraft has given us a fantastic opportunity to look at what we can offer our customers onboard. We have been working really hard with our partners at Boeing and Panasonic to bring connectivity across all our cabins as well as updating our revolutionary touch screen inflight entertainment.”

Onboard connectivity
Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with Panasonic and T-Mobile to offer all customers eXConnect KU Band wifi connectivity onboard its new 787 aircraft. Whether on a laptop, tablet or mobile phone, customers can connect their devices to the wireless onboard internet with just a few clicks and start surfing the web. The cost of the internet is £14.99 for the duration of your flight; however customers can browse destination and aircraft information, Retail Therapy and further Virgin Atlantic services complimentary. With power now available to every seat throughout the 787, customers don’t need to worry about losing battery and can work or play throughout their journey.

Let us entertain you…
The 787 Dreamliner sees Virgin Atlantic role out Vera Touch 2 in-flight entertainment system throughout all cabins, boasting over 400 hours of carefully curated, on demand award-winning entertainment.

The cutting-edge next generation eX3 system from Panasonic features a widescreen smart monitor at all seats with a capacitive touchscreen interface allowing passengers to access content in just a few swipes and clicks. The IFE also boasts a new Skymap from Betria Interactive delivering a captivating 3D experience, infused with interesting and detailed point-of-interest content that can engage the passenger in a rich and informative interactive experience. All seats boast an integrated USB port allowing passengers to power their own devices. New to the Upper Class cabin is a 24” touchscreen monitor over the bar showing looped animations that complement the cabin environment, as well as the option to view the innovative map on a larger screen.

But first let me take a #SkyhighSelfie….
Virgin Atlantic is also introducing the ultimate #SkyhighSelfie, which offers customers the opportunity to update Facebook free of charge from the air. Developed in conjunction with Wavealot, this bespoke application will allow customers to check in on Facebook and share their location with their friends and followers mid-flight. The app will allow one check in per person and customers can purchase the wifi to continue the conversation. Virgin Atlantic is also developing certain #SkyhighSelfie spots in the cabin to offer customers the chance to take the perfect selfie onboard and share their experience. The app will also act as a mile high discussion forum where customers on the flight can chat and spark debate in the air.

LAKE FOREST, California – 29 March 2010 – Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic), the world leader in state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment and communication (IFEC) systems, today announced a new strategic agreement with Deutsche Telekom. Under terms of the new arrangement, Deutsche Telekom with its T-Mobile brand will be the preferred wireless internet service provider for Panasonic Avionics’ Global Communications Suite.

“Panasonic is excited to announce our new relationship with Deutsche Telekom because we believe that the T-Mobile brand offers the perfect complement to our Global Communications Suite,” said Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation. “T-Mobile is an established, best-in-class brand that offers an impressive portfolio of global roaming agreements and an excellent experience in terms of customer care, billing and support. In fact, in many instances, T-Mobile and its roaming partners already enjoy strong relationships with many of the same passengers that the airlines and Panasonic intend to serve. By combining these T-Mobile advantages with the unique connectivity capabilities of our Global Communications suite, Panasonic and Deutsche Telekom have the potential to offer airline passengers and crew an unmatched experience in broadband internet, data and voice communications.”

“Joining forces with Panasonic Avionics Corporation in the field of in-flight connectivity and bringing in our expertise of customer insights and telecommunication trends opens huge opportunities for both partners,” says Philipp Humm, Chief Regional Officer Europe of Deutsche Telekom. “We are looking forward to a successful future and to elevate communication services to new heights.”

Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite provides high-speed broadband internet, data and voice communications services to passengers and crew, using a GSM or Wi-Fi -enabled device. Under the terms of this new agreement, Deutsche Telekom will manage the internet gateway and handle passenger billing and customer support for Wi-Fi services. In addition, Deutsche Telekom will provide marketing and promotional support to drive utilization of the services.

The Panasonic Global Communications Suite can be used as a stand-alone service or be integrated with the aircraft’s existing IFEC system. It offers airlines the flexibility to provide passenger connectivity through passenger-paid access to the Internet or through advertising-supported content and sponsored Internet sessions. The Global Communications Suite supports popular passenger online activities, such as accessing corporate VPNs or intranets, browsing the Web, personal e-mail and instant messaging, social networking and online shopping.

Bonn/Hamburg, 31 March 2009 – T-Mobile presents its inflight communication solution at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. Together with its partners, VT Miltope and ViaSat, T-Mobile shows the latest inflight broadband and GSM telephony solution for all major passenger aircraft.

With this solution, connectivity for the traveller can be expanded: With connectivity on the road, on the train or at the airport and now also in the sky the traveller enjoys seamless mobility. Through WiFi Hotspot in aircraft, passengers will have the possibility of broadband access via their own laptop or smartphone during their flight. Complemented by a GSM telephony solution, passengers can use their mobile phones to receive and send both text messages and emails, or do voice calls in exactly the same way as on the ground. Business travellers can stay in touch with their business partners, leisure travellers will be able to receive information on their travel destination and families stay connected with their loved ones. The inflight broadband solution presented in Hamburg with on-board portals can provide airlines with a competitive advantage and allow them to excel in customer services. Through the WiFi portal, passengers will be able to check real-time information quickly for connection flights, browse for onboard shopping products, or utilize loyalty programme incentives.

The combined effort of T-Mobile and its partners result in a unique offering for all airlines: An integrated, future proof connectivity solution that caters to all passenger connectivity and communication needs under one brand. T-Mobile contributes the expertise of a mass market mobile operator and the knowledge of how to design user friendly communication services. This will help ensure that the needs of the end-customer will be satisfied. T-Mobile’s sophisticated billing system will allow airlines to implement various payment methods. Interface with the airlines’ loyalty programs will also be possible. With these capabilities T-Mobile is able to accommodate the increasing demand by airlines for a worry-free end-to-end in-flight connectivity solution.

T-Mobile’s initiative is driven by a clear vision of tomorrow’s inflight entertainment situation. Passengers are expecting universal connectivity for all their phones and devices, bandwidth like at home and an intuitive user experience. Instead of offline in-seat devices, customers want to use the services and information they are used to for making flights as entertaining and efficient as possible.