Gilat and Air Esurfing Announce a Strategic Collaboration to Provide In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) for China’s Domestic Airline Market

January 17, 2017

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced a strategic partnership with Air Esurfing, a fully owned subsidiary of Air Media Group, to transform the domestic IFC market in China. The partners intend to utilize China’s Ka-band HTS capacity for domestic IFC services over mainland China. 

Gilat and Air Esurfing will join forces to deliver broadband connectivity to airlines throughout China. Gilat will leverage its multi-service HTS platform that will operate with ChinaSatcom’s Ka-band capacity planned to be launched in 2017. Gilat’s solution will enable continuous service exceeding 100Mbps and servicing many dozens of passengers per aircraft. Gilat will provide a complete IFC terminal including its unique ER6000-A KuKa antenna terminal and its Taurus Modman. The partners will jointly pursue STC certification for the Gilat system with commercial pilots already planned for early 2018. 

“We have chosen to collaborate with Gilat due to its proven presence in China and its technological leadership in Mobility baseband as well as Aero antenna terminals for IFC,” said Mr. Zhou Hong, General Manager Air Esurfing. “We see in Gilat the perfect partner to open the door for IFC in the domestic Chinese market and are excited about the joint opportunity.” 

“Gilat is honored to have been selected by Air Esurfing, a key player in the domestic Chinese IFEC market, to jointly deliver on the promise of high quality connectivity for airline passengers throughout China,” said Jun Xiang, Gilat China General Manager. “China is a strategic market for Gilat and as such we have taken a key role in the development of HTS broadband over the last two years, with deployment of our multi-service platform to address both fixed and mobility applications. We are committed to the Chinese market and in particular to the Chinese IFEC market, and continue to seek additional Chinese as well as international players to partner in this mission, and are in discussion with several such players.”