Eutelsat has announced a new triple mission satellite that it claims will host the first high throughput payload to cover the Pacific Ocean.
The Paris-based satellite operator has already sold the high-power Ku-band transponders to California’s…
Eutelsat has announced a new triple mission satellite that it claims will host the first high throughput payload to cover the Pacific Ocean.
The Paris-based satellite operator has already sold the high-power Ku-band transponders to California’s Panasonic Avionics Corporation, which will use it for in-flight services capable of 1.8 Gbps overall.
The Eutelsat 172B bird will also feature a regular Ku-band payload that will double the satellite operator’s capacity at 172E, and C-band transponders to tap into new growth markets in South East Asia.
A spokeswoman said the company is just weeks away from securing a manufacturer for the spacecraft.
It will be launched in 2017 to join Eutelsat 172A, a satellite the company picked up in 2012 when it bought GE Capital and its orbital rights for US$228m.
Eutelsat 172A, previously known as GE-23, is based on the Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4100-C3 platform and was launched in 2005. Panasonic Avionics has been using the spacecraft to provide in-flight connectivity for commercial airlines, and the group is looking to broaden its range of services once Eutelsat 172B comes online.
Paul Margis, Panasonic Avionics’ CEO, said: “Demand for in-flight connectivity is increasing exponentially, especially in Asia.
“This agreement with a capable technology partner such as Eutelsat represents a continuation of our commitment to serve the aviation industry with the most capable and comprehensive connectivity solution available today and in the future.”
The Californian firm, which is owned by Japanese conglomerate Panosonic, has also signed long-term deal with Eutelsat’s US unit to use its regular Ku-band for live TV.
Demand for in-flight passenger connectivity services has been soaring in North America, and recent forecasts suggest it could become a multi-billion dollar revenue sector by 2020.
British MSS operator Inmarsat ordered a satellite earlier this month to use its dormant S-band capacity to provide in-flight broadband across the European Union.
Inmarsat is also hoping to make headway into the in-flight services market with its upcoming next generation Global Xpress constellation.
Last September Panasonic Avionics struck a deal to use a second satellite from US-based Intelsat’s next generation EpicNG constellation, helping it serve the world’s busiest aeronautical routes by adding capacity from the Intelsat 33e bird, which is set for a 2016 launch. It had already secured capacity on Intelsat 29e, which is the first Epic-class satellite and is set to launch next year.
