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Eutelsat steps up expansion in Asia-Pacific with new high-capacity triple mission satellite

  • EUTELSAT 172B satellite to pioneer High Throughput payload customised for in-flight broadband over trans-Pacific and Asian flight paths
  • Selected by Panasonic Avionics Corporation as prime platform for growth for in-flight connectivity and entertainment

19 June 2014

Eutelsat Communications unveiled its plans at the CommunicAsia exhibition in Singapore for significantly scaling up its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The company is embarking on a new triple mission satellite programme that will support sustained demand for capacity for data, fixed and mobile broadband services as well as video. The satellite will also host the Pacific Ocean Region's first High Throughput payload which Panasonic Avionics Corporation has already selected as its key growth platform for trans-Pacific and Asian in-flight broadband and live TV services provided to commercial airlines.

Eutelsat’s new high-capacity satellite, EUTELSAT 172B, will be launched in 2017 to 172° East as an early follow-on programme to EUTELSAT 172A. It will provide continuity and expansion capacity at a position that is already a prime gateway for services in the Asia Pacific region.

EUTELSAT 172B will host three distinct payloads

  • A C-band payload delivering increased power and broader coverage that will enhance service provided today to existing customers via EUTELSAT 172A and tap into new growth markets in South East Asia. 
  • A regular Ku-band payload doubling capacity at 172° East and connected to five improved service areas: North Pacific, North East Asia, South East Pacific, South West Pacific and South Pacific.
  • An innovative High Throughput Ku-band payload specifically designed for in-flight broadband, featuring multiple user spots optimised to serve densely-used Asian and trans-Pacific flight paths and interconnected to gateways operating in the Ka band. This new payload will be the first customised for in-flight connectivity over the Pacific Ocean Region, delivering an overall throughput of 1.8 Gbps to an underserved market forecast to enjoy sustained growth over the coming years.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation, one of the fastest growing providers of in-flight entertainment and communications, has signed a long-term agreement with Eutelsat America Corp. (EAC), Eutelsat’s US subsidiary, that will make it the anchor client for the satellite's High Throughput payload for broadband services and a user of its regular Ku-band capacity for live TV. The capacity booked will transform the range of services Panasonic Avionics Corporation already delivers to commercial airlines through EUTELSAT 172A, positioning it as a key provider of passenger connectivity and entertainment as well as fast and concise collection and communication of aircraft and crew data.

Commenting on the new programme, Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat Chairman and CEO, said: “In addition to delivering significant scope for growth for existing clients, this highly efficient asset in the sky places our 172° East position front and centre of the rapidly expanding market for mobile services in the Pacific Ocean region. We welcome Panasonic Avionics Corporation as an anchor tenant on EUTELSAT 172B. Their long-term commitment to this location underscores its unmatched vantage point over a wide and underserved area spanning from the West coast of North America, to Asia and down to Australia and Pacific islands.”

Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, 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.”