HONG KONG: Asiasat and Connexion By Boeing, a business division of The Boeing Company have announced the signing of a lease agreement

As per the arrangement Ku-band capacity on Asiasat 3S will be used to provide in-flight broadband communication services on the Asia-to-Europe flight corridor commencing in the first quarter of 2004. An official release informs that under the terms of the agreement, Connexion by Boeing will lease multiple Ku-band transponders on AsiaSat 3S, AsiaSat's powerful satellite at 105.5E orbital location with high-powered coverage over East Asia and South Asia spanning from Japan to Turkey.

The satellite will provide passengers with real-time, high-speed access to Internet and data services including sending and receiving e-mails with attachments, browsing the Internet, accessing company intranets and entertainment services via their personal laptops or Internet-enabled PDAs. The connectivity also allows in-flight crews to communicate efficiently with ground operations for real-time data and information.

Connexion By Boeing provides mobile information services. It brings broadband Internet, data and entertainment connectivity to mobile travellers. Connexion by Boeing supplier management director Jeff Flagel added, "With the addition of this satellite capability, we are effectively positioned to support the introduction of the Connexion by Boeing service to passengers on the popular Asia-to-Europe airline routes. The Asian region remains a very important market for us and the addition of the AsiaSat 3S satellite will help us deliver the in-flight connectivity that passengers in the region are asking for."