From Apex
Taqnia Space has launched an in-flight entertainment and connectivity service, called UON, ushering in a new era of live streaming directly to passenger’s devices.
Saudi Arabian Airlines will be the launch customer of Taqnia Space’s new in-flight entertainment and connectivity service, UON, launched yesterday at Aircraft Interiors Expo. UON offers broadband Ku- and Ka-band in-flight connectivity, GSM voice and data roaming, and live TV – all accessible through passengers’ personal electronic devices. Taqnia’s service is the result of a collaboration between satellite operator Eutelsat, Japanese aerospace designer Jamco, satellite technology provider iDirect, software provider Axinom and connected solutions provider SITAONAIR.
The company’s CEO, Abdullah Alosaimi, said the system, slated to launch in Q2 of next year on Saudia short- and long-haul flights, means “all airlines around the world will be able to offer their passengers high-throughput connectivity services that are currently provided in a limited scale by few airlines in North America.”
Speaking of the achievement, David Lavorel, CEO of SITAONAIR, which is collaborating in the capacity of technology consultant and provider, said, “What Taqnia has been doing in terms of speed is just amazing. Enabling your first service [within a year] is quite a tough delivery. At this stage, we are focusing on bringing the service live.” Continue>