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.
Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and APT Mobile Satcom Limited (APSATCOM) have partnered to launch their Extreme Throughput Satellite (XTS) service, with the aim of enhancing connectivity for mobility markets. The service is based on the APSTAR-6D satellite, which was jointly designed by the two companies, to serve Panasonic’s connectivity customers.
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 APSTAR-6D satellite 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. Customers will use this advanced satellite capacity as their aircraft fly routes to and over Asia.
Speaking about the new service, 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, added: ?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.?
The XTS satellite will be integrated into Panasonic?s recently launched third generation communications network, which is built 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 Centre, 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.
