ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT) has signed a memorandum of understanding agreement with Australia´s Qantas Airways to bring in-flight Internet connectivity to Qantas passengers on its domestic flights, the company said.
The agreement with Qantas represents the broadband company´s first Asia Pacific airline to select its in-flight Internet service, as well as the first airline in the region to choose its single, hybrid Ku/Ka-band antenna — which will keep Qantas aircraft connected to the best available satellite network.
The new service expects to feature speeds that are up to 10 times faster than traditional global ground-based in-flight Internet services, allowing Qantas customers to stream movies, TV shows, news and live sports.
ViaSat´s high capacity Ka-band in-flight Internet service is currently deployed on nearly 500 commercial planes in the US The service provides gate-to-gate Internet access with the highest-speed connections and highest-quality streaming video experiences to each passenger´s connected device.
Founded in regional Queensland in 1920 as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, Qantas has played a central role in the development of the Australian and international aviation industry.
Qantas is ranked the world´s safest airline by AirlineRatings.com, one of the top 10 airlines in the world by Skytrax, and holds many major awards for service, food and wine, technology and innovation.
ViaSat designs satellites and secure ground infrastructure and terminal technologies coupled with its international network of managed Wi-Fi hotspots enable ViaSat to deliver a network that extends the reach and accessibility of broadband Internet service, globally.
