SKY Perfect JSAT, a Japanese corporation that claims to be Asia’s largest satellite communications company with its fleet of 17 satellites, has entered into a multi-year agreement with Panasonic Avionics. Panasonic will contract Gbps-class Ku-band capacity on Superbird-9, SKY Perfect JSAT’s software-defined high-throughput satellite. The agreement is intended to further Panasonic Avionics’ plans to deliver higher-speed internet connections for airline passengers flying over Japan.
Superbird-9 is a next-generation satellite which SKY Perfect JSAT says will have the largest capacity of any of the company’s satellites. Based on Airbus’s OneSat satellite system and its fully digital, highly flexible payload, Superbird-9 will be capable of reconfiguring its service area, capacity and frequency while in orbit to meet changing market demands. For example, the satellite can allocate capacity between congested and non-congested areas in response to the needs of aircraft operator customers.
Service on Superbird-9 is scheduled to start in the first half of 2027. According to SKY Perfect JSAT, securing this pre-launch commitment means the company is ready to offer the high-capacity service on Superbird-9 at the earliest possible opportunity. Until then, capacity for Panasonic Avionics will be increased in phases, with other satellites.
John Wade, VP of Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity business unit, said of the deal: “For the past year, Panasonic Avionics has made significant investments in the worldwide coverage and capacity of our global service satellite network. As we continue to see exponential growth in the adoption of in-fight connectivity in Japan, across Asia and around the world, one thing is clear: passengers want faster internet speeds for traditional services. They also increasingly demand access to emerging in-flight connectivity applications like streaming content, playing games in flight, and using collaborative cloud-based applications. This significant investment with SKY Perfect JSAT is the latest example of our commitment to a standard-setting global connectivity network and our efforts to exceed the growing demand for these kinds of enhanced in-flight experiences.”
Yutaka Moriai, executive officer and group president of SKY Perfect JSAT’s global business group, added: “We are building on our long-standing partnership with Panasonic Avionics, and it is our joint commitment to elevate the in-flight experience and to deliver market-leading connectivity to passengers. With the introduction of the cutting-edge Superbird-9 satellite to Panasonic Avionics, we will continue to deliver forward-looking solutions together.”
