ARINC Direct^SM Cuts Distance Charges, Adds World Calling^SM Plan for SKYLink VoIP Users

November 6, 2006

Annapolis, Maryland—ARINC Direct^SM today announced World Calling^SM, a new flat-rate billing plan for customers of its SKYLink^SM VoIP telephone service for business jets. SKYLink VoIP users will now be billed a flat 10¢ per minute for all calls between aircraft and ground telephones—no matter where in the world the calls are originated or terminated. The 10¢ per minute VoIP rate is added to subscribers’ standard SKYLink data service rates.

SKYLink by ARINC Direct has offered VoIP service since 2005, but with distance-adjusted rates for calls outside North America. “We discovered most of our subscribers are much heavier users of data, and we decided to simplify the VoIP offering by eliminating long-distance charges,” stated Robert B. Thompson, ARINC Senior Director, Satellite Services. “These new VoIP economics mean SKYLink subscribers won’t need to consider any alternative voice services.”

Unlike other voice over IP telephone solutions, SKYLink’s VoIP service is carried over a secure private IP network—not over the Internet. ARINC’s global network is fully managed for service reliability, and carries millions of vital airline messages per day.

“We provide end-to-end network security and quality assurance, and we offer service-level guarantees on SKYLink VoIP, FAX over IP (FoIP), and private corporate network services,” added Thompson. “Customers can take full advantage of SKYLink’s Ku-band satellite bandwidth, and some business aircraft have used as many as six laptops for e-mails while two VoIP calls were going simultaneously.”

SKYLink’s VoIP service also includes convenient 1-800 one-number dialing to aircraft from anywhere in the world. Current customers can obtain more information about VoIP and other services from an ARINC Direct Sales Representative at (410) 266–2918.

With newly expanded coverage over 20 countries of Europe as well as North America, SKYLink has emerged as more than a broadband data service. SKYLink offers its subscribers a fully-connected office in the sky, with high-speed networking and a range of business applications including Internet access, E-mail, corporate Intranet access, VoIP and FoIP. Also planned is in-flight videoconferencing capability and coverage over the North Atlantic, providing a seamless service from the U.S. west coast all the way to Russia.

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.

Release: 06-150

Corporate Communications
corpcomm@arinc.com
410-266-4652