Company willing to take up service requirement of broadband system, with conditions
Panasonic Avionics is offering to assume the service requirements of the soon-to-be-defunct Connexion by Boeing in-flight broadband system, but only as part of a wider commitment to its own connectivity system, which was unveiled in April.
Boeing in August announced the end of its Ku-band-based Connexion service, citing a lack of demand. However, several key Connexion operators, notably Lufthansa, are attempting to keep their broadband offering alive past the New Year cut-off planned by Boeing.
The future of Ku-band connectivity is, however, still uncertain. Although Panasonic Avionics says it can modify Connexion hardware to its own Ku-band system with a simple modem change, it will not proceed without a significant commitment from the world’s airlines. “We need commitments, either signed or memoranda of understanding, on 500 aircraft for us to go ahead with this,” the manufacturer’s director of strategic product marketing David Bruner told Flight International last week at the World Airline Entertainment Association’s annual conference and exhibition in Miami.
These commitments must also be issued before the end of November to allow Panasonic Avionics time to start implementing the change-over without a significant delay in broadband service on Connexion carriers, adds Bruner.
Even if the commitments were signed immediately, obtaining frequency licences from individual regulators will still take some time, notes the Panasonic Avionics executive, adding that at the very least Connexion operators will experience a “dark period” without broadband for a few months.
Panasonic Avionics has also to manufacture the airborne hardware for its broadband product, although Bruner says: “All the components already exist, it’s just a case of putting the system together.” To assume control of the Connexion system, Panasonic says it need only replace Boeing’s onboard modem, a procedure that will take 48h once type certification is granted. All other Connexion hardware, including the Mitsubishi antennas, can be connected to the new modem.
Connexion is currently in commercial service on 156 aircraft at 12 airlines, says Boeing. Other aircraft are either line-fitted or in the process of being line-fitted with Connexion hardware, although exact numbers are not available.
To achieve the 500 aircraft mark, Panasonic Avionics is also promoting its own Ku-band system as a cheaper alternative to that installed on Connexion aircraft. Although specific details on this broadband offering are still not being disclosed, Bruner says: “We can be profitable at usage rates of 4% to 5%.” Similar usage rates were reported by Connexion carrier Scandinavian Airlines.
Source: Flight International
