Ericsson core-as-a-service supports AeroMobile in-flight connectivity
Business travelers know the pain all too well–less than adequate, utterly unreliable airplane Wi-Fi is regular source of frustration, not to mention the loss of productivity. Ericsson and Panasonic, along with with specialized operator AeroMobile, are looking to fix that.
Panasonic subsidiary AeroMobile, along with network infrastructure vendor Ericsson, partnered in 2016 to bring robust, reliable connectivity to airline passengers around the world. Following from that partnership, the trio last month turned up a new core network to support voice, messaging and data.
Panasonic counts more than 20 airlines as customers for in-flight connectivity; users can roam onto the network based on agreements with their mobile service provider. Ericsson delivered the core and attendant services–data management, mediation, switching and NFV–as a service. And the infrastructure is 5G-ready, according to Ericsson.
AeroMobile CEO Kevin Rogers said in a statement the new tech would benefit passengers and airlines. “The solution enables us to grow our footprint and expand into other services offering a richer experience for the passenger and operational efficiencies for our airline customers.”
Panasonic Avionics provides wireless systems for airlines as well seat back entertainment and business and technical services that airlines rely on to create new revenue opportunities.
While the core network is dubbed as 5G-ready, the involved companies said they were exploring what those particular use cases will look like.
