OneWeb and Panasonic Avionics to deliver LEO connectivity to airlines

Panasonic Avionics is to market, sell, and support OneWeb’s high-speed, low-latency in-flight broadband services to commercial airlines globally.

The company will offer OneWeb’s global service standalone or paired with Panasonic Avionics’ GEO service, which covers 99.6% of the world’s flight routes.

This coverage and performance will improve the in-flight surfing and streaming experience for passengers and will open the door to new airline passenger experiences. Examples include live gameplay, video conferencing and VoIP communication.

Panasonic expects to support OneWeb-equipped aircraft in the second half of 2023 and will make its catalogue of cloud-enabled, broadband-connected applications available over the OneWeb network, including mobile phone connectivity, ARC moving map, ZeroTouch content management and related services.

Ben Griffin, OneWeb’s VP Mobility Services, said: “Our mission at OneWeb is to enable airlines to deliver a consistent, terrestrial-like connectivity experience to their passengers, no matter when or where they are flying – over oceans, over the North Pole – absolutely everywhere. This connectivity experience will drive value through enhanced passenger satisfaction and loyalty. This agreement with Panasonic is significant for OneWeb, as it allows us to leverage their reputation, expertise, and reach to bring our LEO network to airlines, while seamlessly integrating our connectivity solution within existing IFEC infrastructure.”

John Wade, Vice President of Panasonic Avionics’ In-flight Connectivity Business Unit, said: “Airline passenger expectations, and therefore the demands of our airline customers, continue to change. Passengers are accustomed to high-speed, low-latency connections supporting remote collaborative working environments, high-quality video streaming, and real-time gameplay. With OneWeb, we can now offer that experience everywhere our customers fly. This is a truly exciting day for the in-flight connectivity market.”