China Telecom Satellite Communications, a subsidiary of state-owned telecoms giant China Telecom, has signed its second MoU to jointly develop, implement and support in-flight connectivity solutions in the space of fifteen days. Fresh from announcing a…
China Telecom Satellite Communications, a subsidiary of state-owned telecoms giant China Telecom, has signed its second MoU to jointly develop, implement and support in-flight connectivity solutions in the space of fifteen days.
Fresh from announcing a strategic partnership with Global Eagle Entertainment on 10 July, China Telecom Satellite has now signed a similar agreement with Panasonic Avionics.
Both deals will enable the in-flight broadband providers to tap the burgeoning Chinese domestic airline market as well as mark it possible for them to offer their connectivity services to non-Chinese customer airlines that have travel routes into and over China.
Formal contracts should be completed in the coming weeks, with commercial services planned to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Paul Margis, CEO of Panasonic Avionics, commented: “While there is still work to be done in order to complete the cooperation agreement, we have made great progress with China Telecom Satellite towards providing this very important service to our airline customers and their passengers. We believe China Telecom Satellite will be a very strong and effective partner for China’s in-flight communication market.”
Similarly, John LaValle, chief executive of Global Eagle Entertainment, said: “China Telecom Satellite is a prestigious and professional organization that represents innovation and excellence in satellite communications. We look forward to a partnership that takes full advantage of our respective abilities to deliver superior in-flight connectivity for airline customers.”
China Telecom Satellite is mainly engaged in providing mobile satellite services and VSAT communications. The company is a distributor of Inmarsat’s BGAN, satPhone Pro and LandPhone products.
