Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics Enter Into Landmark Strategic Collaboration for Commercial Aviation

PR75318

LONDON and TOKYO, Sept 20. 2018/PRNewswire-AsiaNet/--

     --Collaboration agreement brings together two global leaders in in-flight

connectivity

    Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) have agreed a

strategic collaboration, for an initial ten-year period, that enables them to

combine their highly complementary market leading services to offer broadband

in-flight connectivity ("IFC") paired with high-value solutions and services to

customers in the commercial aviation industry worldwide.

    This collaboration will enable airlines, aircraft manufacturers and

passengers to benefit from the combined expertise of two companies that have

been at the forefront of technology and innovation for nearly four decades.

    Under the terms of the agreement, Inmarsat will become Panasonic's

exclusive provider of Ka-band IFC for commercial aviation. Panasonic will now

be able to offer Inmarsat's high-speed, broadband connectivity service, GX

Aviation, powered by Global Xpress, the world's first global Ka-band satellite

network, owned and managed by a single operator. Panasonic will continue to

invest in its own network and, with GX Aviation as a primary offering for new

business, will be perfectly positioned to serve both its current and future

customers.

    In addition, Inmarsat will now be able to offer Panasonic's market-leading

portfolio of services and NEXT solutions to Inmarsat's commercial aviation

customers. This includes customer support services available from Panasonic's

Customer Performance Center and Technical Services teams.

    The collaboration, which is already being deployed with a mutual customer,

presents a unique opportunity to leverage Inmarsat's proven track record of

high-quality and innovative global mobile connectivity, and Panasonic's

market-leading in-flight entertainment, digital services and connectivity

solutions.

    Looking forward, Inmarsat and Panasonic will also collaborate on the

development of a next generation GX Aviation terminal, as well as new

connectivity-enabled services, data analytics and technology to improve overall

end-to-end performance.

    By delivering this step-change in aviation services capability, airlines

will have access to new and better solutions that address widely recognized

industry challenges of capacity, coverage and compatibility. This will give

greater quality, consistency of experience and more choice to airlines and

their passengers in the IFC market, which by some estimates could exceed $100

billion by 2035[1].

    Rupert Pearce, Chief Executive Officer, Inmarsat, said:

    "Our highly complementary collaboration with Panasonic combines the unique

expertise and proven capabilities of both companies to create a market-leading

in-flight connectivity offer for aircraft manufacturers, airlines and their

passengers.

    "IFC is a substantial and fast-emerging sector where the quality of

customer experience is paramount. Reliable, high-quality IFC is no longer a

luxury for passengers, but an expectation, and will play a vital role in

securing an airline's competitive position in a market.

    "Today's landmark announcement is clear evidence of Inmarsat delivering on

its strategy and strengthens our conviction that, building upon the success of

the global GX network, aviation will be a significant individual growth driver

of our overall business. It also demonstrates Inmarsat's commitment to becoming

the reference IFC network for airlines around the world.

    "We look forward to working closely with Panasonic as we develop the

relationship and accelerate our respective innovation roadmaps to ensure we

continue to provide airlines and passengers with the world's leading IFC

experience."

    Hideo Nakano, Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Avionics, said:

    "For over 10 years, Panasonic has remained steadfast in its commitment to

the connected aircraft. Still, many airlines have more than one connectivity

partner, and this strategic collaboration ensures that even more airlines have

access to a wide variety of industry-leading digital solutions."

    1. 'Sky High Economics: Quantifying the commercial opportunities of

passenger connectivity for the global airline industry', by London School of

Economics and Political Science (LSE), 2017

    "By adding GX Aviation into our NEXT Online portfolio, we're recognizing

the need for IFC consistency across multiple fleets, and enabling digital

solutions and services with unified customer support. It's really a win-win for

customers."

    "After all, there's nothing quite like watching your favorite sporting

event on the seatback, shopping for products that are relevant to your life and

interests, or using apps that personalize your journey."

    "Clearly, this is truly a tremendous opportunity for our industry. We look

forward to working with Inmarsat to provide a wider suite of services and

solutions to the world's airlines."

    Notes to Editors

    Inmarsat's existing agreements with other strategic partners in the

industry will remain unaffected, while Panasonic will continue to improve and

offer its high-performance global Ku-band satellite network in delivering IFC

services to its aviation customers worldwide.

    About Inmarsat

    Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite

communications services. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice

and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other

organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in

the air. Inmarsat operates around the world, with a presence in the major ports

and centres of commerce on every continent. Inmarsat is listed on the London

Stock Exchange (ISAT.L). For more information, please visit www.inmarsat.com

[http://www.inmarsat.com ].

    The Inmarsat press release newsfeed and corporate updates are on

@InmarsatGlobal. [https://twitter.com/InmarsatGlobal ]

    GX Aviation

    GX Aviation is the world's first and only globally available, high-speed

inflight internet service delivered through a wholly-owned and operated network

of High-Throughput Satellites (HTS). It has won a string of prestigious awards

for offering state-of-the-art, uninterrupted, global inflight connectivity that

enables passengers to browse the internet,  stream videos, check social media

and more during flights, with connectivity that is comparable to the mobile

broadband services they may receive on the ground. As the world's leading

mobile satellite communications operator, Inmarsat continues to invest and

further develop its advanced network. The company will be launching three

next-generation very high-throughput (VHTS) satellites, starting next year with

its fifth GX satellite (GX-5). This strategy is focused on layering additional

capacity to the GX global network to meet escalating demand from airline

customers in specific regions

    About Panasonic Avionics Corporation

    Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world's leading supplier of inflight

entertainment and communication systems. The company's best-in-class solutions,

supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin

enabling its customers to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich

variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication

systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.

    Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is

a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North

American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. Headquartered in Lake Forest,

California with over 5,000 employees and operations in 80 global locations, it

has delivered over 9,000 IFE systems and 2,000 inflight connectivity solutions

to the world's leading airlines.

    For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero

[http://www.panasonic.aero ]

    For further information    

Investors     

Rob Gurner     

Inmarsat

Investor Relations     

rob.gurner@inmarsat.com     

0207-728-1518     

+44(0)7825-189088

    Media

Alison Stokes     

Inmarsat Corporate Communications  

alison.stokes@inmarsat.com    

0207-728-1492  

+44(0)7713-306417

    Panasonic Avionics Contacts:     

Brian Bardwell   

Manager, Corporate Communications  

Tel: +1-949-462-1742

Brian.Bardwell@panasonic.aero

    Charlie Hampton  

Tel: +44(0)7884-187297     

Charlie@pembrokeandrye.com

    Source: Inmarsat