Qantas Taps ViaSat for Highest-Speed, Highest-Quality In-Flight Wi-Fi and Streaming Internet Services

Feb. 22, 2016

ViaSat Inc.  announced today it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement with Qantas Airways, Australia's largest domestic and international airline, to bring the fastest and highest-quality in-flight internet connectivity to Qantas passengers on its domestic flights.

The agreement with Qantas is significant to ViaSat, as it represents the broadband company's first Asia Pacific airline to select its in-flight internet service, as well as the first airline in the region to choose its single, hybrid Ku/Ka-band antenna – which will keep Qantas aircraft connected to the best available satellite network.  

The new service expects to feature speeds that are up to 10 times faster than traditional global ground-based in-flight internet services, allowing Qantas customers to stream movies, TV shows, news and live sports. Additionally, by using ViaSat's hybrid Ku/Ka‑band antenna, the internet service will operate across both ViaSat's global Ku-band network and nbn's Sky Muster™ high-capacity Ka-band satellites, keeping Qantas passengers connected virtually everywhere they fly.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said, "Bringing high-speed Wi-Fi to Australia's domestic aviation market has been an ambition of ours for a long time – and with ViaSat we now have the right partner to make it happen. Our goal is to give our customers a similar internet experience on board to what they enjoy on the ground."   

"As a global broadband services provider we are bringing the best internet service – with the highest capacity, speeds and take-rates – to Qantas passengers, ensuring they enjoy the ultimate in-flight internet experience," said Mark Dankberg, chairman and CEO, ViaSat. "We know as a premium airline, Qantas must deliver on its promise to bring quality services to its customers, and we are flattered Qantas selected ViaSat as its in-flight partner of choice."

Under the MOU in-flight internet trials are expected to begin in late 2016, on Qantas Boeing 737 aircraft. A full roll-out across the Qantas domestic fleet of A330s and B737s is planned to begin in 2017, with aircraft to be outfitted with in-cabin Wi-Fi hotspots, an internet modem and ViaSat's advanced satellite antenna and radome technology.