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ARINC and Starling Team Up to Provide Comprehensive in-Flight Communication Services for Business Jets

Posted on: Monday, 4 December 2006, 09:00 CST

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland and YOQNEAM, Israel, December 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ARINC Direct and Starling Advanced Communication today announced an agreement to jointly provide fully integrated broadband Internet solutions for business jets.

The agreement meets the increasing demand for reliable and cost-effective in-flight broadband applications in the medium and large size business jet segments. It will open new horizons for business travelers, enabling broadband in-flight applications, such as the Internet, VPN, PDA, VoIP, e-mail, mobile phones, video conferencing, and instant messaging.

ARINC's highly successful SKYLink system and service is currently limited in its installation to business aircraft that can accommodate the mechanically steered tail mount antenna. Under this agreement, ARINC will combine the SKYLink system with Starling's MIJET and MiniMIJET - the world's fastest fuselage mounted broadband antenna systems for in-flight applications, opening up the broadband Internet market to thousands of additional aircraft.

ARINC and Starling will jointly develop and carry out service demonstrations, customer visits and sales support. "By integrating the MIJET and the MiniMIJET antennas with SKYLink system service, ARINC will expand its offering and addressable markets," said Robert Thompson, Senior Director of Satellite Services of ARINC. "As of next year we will be able to offer connectivity solutions for all mid and large size business jets."

"The agreement marks a new era in the history of business jets," said Micha Lawrence, CEO and founder of Starling. "We can now combine the power of our recognized strengths to establish a leadership position in providing in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions to customers worldwide. Our innovative antennas enable high-performance broadband services in all flight conditions, at the same service level as on the ground."

SKYLink by ARINC Direct is the only in-flight broadband satellite service for business aircraft passengers. SKYLink allows business aviation passengers to stay connected even at 47,000 feet. At speeds in excess of 3 megabits per second (Mbps), it provides the user with a truly broadband experience. Designed with business aircraft users in mind, SKYLink is faster, smaller, lighter, more efficient, and less costly than other airborne satellite systems. And it's easy to use. Just plug a network cable from your laptop into a jack on the plane and log on to the network. The process becomes even simpler if you have a wireless connection and a preconfigured server.

Starling's MiniMIJET (diameter 16'' - 40 cm, height 4" - 10 cm) is an antenna system for medium and small size business aircraft. The MiniMIJET Ku-band antenna provides the industry's best-of-breed solution for unmatched high-speed bit rates and superior cost-effectiveness, compared to L-band and other air-to-ground technologies. In addition to its compact size, the antenna set the highest level of performance and data rate: transmission data rate of up to 384 Kbps, and reception data rate from 3-5 Mbps.

About ARINC

ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,200 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

About Starling Advanced Communication

Founded in 2003, Starling develops small, low profile antennas that enable full-featured broadband connectivity on any mobile platform. Starling's first product is the MIJET family of low profile two-way Ku band antenna systems for aircraft, enabling unprecedented in-flight entertainment and personal communication services. The Company's patent-pending CoMPA(TM) (Coherent Multi-Panel Antenna) technology enables data transmission and reception at true broadband bit rates via an exceptionally low profile antenna. Located in Yoqneam, Israel, Starling is owned by Elron Electronic Industries , RDC (Rafael Development Corporation) and Elbit Systems . For more information about starling visit http://www.starling-com.com/

Contact: David Kanaan Kanaan Public Relations Tel.: +972-3-5408188 e-mail: david@kanaan.co.il

Starling Advanced Communication

CONTACT: Contact: David Kanaan, Kanaan Public Relations, Tel.:+972-3-5408188, e-mail: david@kanaan.co.il

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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