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How iDirect Technology
Supports Panasonic eXConnect
September 2, 2008
What is Panasonic eXConnect?
• Next-generation satellite transmission platform
providing airline passengers and crew with high-speed
Internet access while in flight
• Provides two-way broadband connectivity for a range of
applications such as:
• Web browsing, email and VPN access and e-commerce
• Satellite-delivered video programming and premium
entertainment
• Voice applications
• Telemedicine
• Operational applications such as ability to monitor and report
flight and related operations information in real time
What are the core technology elements that
support the system?
• Panasonic eXConnect integrates the best-inclass capabilities of a carefully selected group
of satellite industry leaders:
• iDirect’s satellite IP router technology
• Intelsat’s global fleet of 53 in-orbit satellites and on-theground teleport facilities
• Lightweight, low-profile Ku Band satellite antenna
technology
Comparing the models
• There are currently three primary methods for providing
in-flight broadband:
• Deploying land-based base stations
• Utilizing a slow-speed L-band satellite link
• Utilizing a high-speed Ku-band satellite connection.
• Extending beyond land-based base stations,
Panasonic eXConnect can be deployed over land and
water to support a greater number of flight routes.
• In contrast to L-band systems, Panasonic eXConnect
provide as much higher data rate and avoids the often
costly, pay-per-minute purchase plan associates with Lband coverage.
Comparing the models (cont.)
• Compared to typical Ku-band solutions, Panasonic
eXConnect delivers
• The industry’s broadest communications platform, supported
by iDirect’s Group Quality of Service technology
• Provides broadband Internet access as well as a portfolio of inflight services that create additional revenue opportunities from
passenger usage fees as well as from advertising.
• Global network coverage, leveraging iDirect’s Automatic
Beam Switching technology
• Significant bandwidth efficiency compared to competitive
offerings through iDirect’s proprietary Direct Sequence
Spread Spectrum mobile waveform
Group Quality of Service
• Challenge:
• To maximize revenues, airlines want to support multiple
applications on the same in-flight network
• Impact:
• If traffic is not segregated, contention arises and SLAs cannot
be guaranteed
• Solution:
• Group QoS enables multiple applications to be supported at the
same time, with additional bandwidth being allocated to priority
applications when needed
• Payoff:
• Airlines will have the ability to provide basic Internet access as
well as support live and premium in-flight entertainment, voice
services and their own operational applications
QoS Management
Service
Levels
Relative
Priorities
List of Remotes
Using this Profile
• GQoS is iDirect’s awardwinning traffic engineering
tool that is key to creating
and maintaining networks
with maximum throughput
and bandwidth efficiency
• GQoS allows for countless
possibilities of quality of
service levels, bandwidth
allocations and
management and traffic
prioritization
• The operator can classify
and monitor quality
parameters according to
different service level
agreements segregating
traffic by aircrafts, airlines,
application and service
groups
Automatic Beam Switching
• Challenge:
• As airplanes travel across satellite beams, they need to connect
to new satellite networks
• Impact:
• If the satellite router cannot do this quickly, end users will
experience extended service disruption
• Solution:
• The iDirect router automatically connects to a new satellite
network, instantly and without the need for operator intervention.
• Payoff:
• Airlines can provide seamless international coverage
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
• Challenge:
• Ultra-small satellite antennae on an aircraft require increased
transmission powers and satellite bandwidth to maintain a
reliable link while in motion
• Impact:
• Uses large amounts of bandwidth and makes in-flight
broadband cost-prohibitive
• Solution:
• iDirect’s innovative Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum mobile
waveform diffuses the transmission of satellite bandwidth while
maintaining a high data rate.
• Payoff:
• This dramatically conserves satellite space segment and lowers
bandwidth costs for airlines
Will in-flight broadband succeed this time?
• The core technologies and capabilities that comprise
an in-flight broadband system have improved
dramatically since Boeing’s attempt
• Airborne electronics system (AES) and satellite antennae are a
fraction of the weight
• Transmission of satellite bandwidth is much more efficient and
affordable
• Panasonic eXConnect is significantly more functional
• Supports applications beyond just Wifi Internet access, providing
greater revenue opportunities through services such as live
television programming, premium entertainment content
supported by advertising, duty free shopping and voice
connectivity
Cost-effective network expansion
• Panasonic eXConnect presents a much more attractive
ROI model for network deployment and support
• Boeing purchased much of its own satellite network hardware
and developed its own customized network
• Boeing also deployed a global satellite transponder network,
which was configured at maximum bandwidth levels for all
remotes and as a result proved to be far too costly to operate
• By contrast, Panasonic has chosen to leverage Intelsat’s
already-deployed global satellite infrastructure, minimizing
the cost of acquiring satellite hardware
• Panasonic can develop its network by simply adding a line
card to Intelsat’s network of iDirect hubs
Simplified global network management
• With iDirect’s Global Network Management System,
Panasonic can manage and track each satellite router
from a single network management system, instead of
using multiple systems typically required to manage a
global, hybrid network.
Thank you