Saudi Arabia’s Taqnia Space has contracted with Eutelsat, one of Europe’s largest satellite communications providers, to provide additional satellite capacity for Taqnia’s in-flight connectivity services on board Saudia flights.
Taqnia Space signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat, which includes incremental multi-transponder wide-beam capacity on the EUTELSAT-70B satellite, as well as the fifth High Throughput Satellite (HTS) spotbeam on EUTELSAT-3B, on which it already operates the four others.
This incremental capacity will enable Taqnia Space to add more space assets to its high-density bandwidth coverage over MENA and Europe. It will also expand to include Taqnia Space Connectivity (TSC) in-flight connectivity services over Central and South-East Asia for the first time.
A global connectivity package called UON is expected to be launched on the Saudia fleet in the fourth quarter of 2018, enabling airline passengers flying over these regions to enjoy live television, connect to broadband Internet, and benefit from cellular voice or data services using their personal devices.
“Over the last few years, in-flight connectivity has become a must-have for passengers looking for an ever-improving air travel experience that allows them to carry on using their digital devices without disruption,” said Abdullah Al-Osaimi, CEO of Taqnia Space. “By extending the contract with Eutelsat on EUTELSAT-3B and adding new capacity over a wider area through leased resources on EUTELSAT-70B, we are certain that we can deliver a high-quality response to the exponential requirements of the airlines we partner with and ensure continuous global connectivity service.”
Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat, added “This agreement marks a new milestone in our relationship with Taqnia Space. It highlights the capacity of our satellite fleet to meet the growing needs of the largest operators in the field of in-flight connectivity and to support the rise of the new norm: being connected everywhere and at all times.”
