Latécoère, Signify and Huneed Technologies announce strategic partnership on LiFi in commercial airplanes

October 28, 2019

 

Toulouse, France – Latécoère, a tier 1 partner to major international aircraft manufacturers, is pleased to announce the industrial scale-up of its LiFi technology[1], thanks to a memorandum of understanding[2] signed with Signify, the world leader in lighting, on its Trulifi technology, and an MoU signed with South Korea’s aerospace and defence specialist, Huneed Technologies, for data communication electronics and software.

 

The Paris Air Show 2019 gave Latécoère the opportunity to demonstrate the power of the LiFi speed. Our technology, which showcases our Group’s worldwide lead in innovation, raised a lot of expectation from the market and is now ready to progress to the next level. Partnering with two leaders in their respective sectors such as Signify and Huneed Technologies will enable new opportunities and horizons for Latécoère’s LiFi, to ensure its widespread use in airplane cabins.”

 

Yannick Assouad

CEO Latécoère

LiFi enables a superior onboard connectivity experience in terms of bandwidth, latency and stability. Another advantage of LiFi is that it doesn’t interfere with sensitive equipment and that the connection isn’t affected by the airplane’s movements. LiFi also results in less cabling, and together with an infrastructure upgrade to low-weight fiber solutions, will reduce the airplane's weight and fuel usage.

 

Unleashing the LiFi power with Trulifi by Signify

Signify, launched its Trulifi systems earlier this year and has installed around 100 projects worldwide. Trulifi combines energy-efficient LED lighting with a reliable, secure and high-speed two-way wireless connection, with speeds of up to 250 Mbps for the downlink and the uplink.

 

Through this partnership, Signify and Latécoère will transform the cabin experience for passengers by providing them the latest technology in connectivity. Trulifi offers enormous potential and our ambition is, in addition to aircraft, to provide this technology to other forms of public transport as well, so people have access to a reliable, secure and fast Internet connection, wherever they may be.”

 

Olivia Qiu

Chief Innovation Officer, Signify

At first, Trulifi will be used for the connection of the media players in the headrests. In the next phase, LiFi will enable passengers to connect their personal devices to the onboard media and Internet, but also interact with each other and have the same connectivity experience on board as on the ground.

 

Starting the industrialisation phase with Huneed Technologies

Huneed Technologies, South Korea's specialist in tactical communication and aerospace equipment, has become the third partner in the industrialization of Latécoère’s LiFi Cabin System. The Group will jointly develop Latécoère in the development and production of the passenger distribution unit and fibre optic router.

 

We are thrilled to be recognized by Latécoère for our expertise in communication technology and manufacturing knowledge to be part of this ground-breaking partnership. This opportunity seamlessly aligns with our growth strategy of globally scaling our aerospace business unit into commercial aviation. Huneed will ensure the delivery of LiFi data communication electronics and software to enable the widespread adoption of this technology that will play a critical role in the next generation of smart cabins in delivering best-in-class passenger experience.”

 

Eugene Kim

Chairman, Huneed Technologies

1 The LiFi technology, short for Light Fidelity, modulates light waves to transmit data.

MoU

For further information, please contact:

Latécoère

FTI Consulting

Emily Oliver / Mathilde Jean

Tel: +33 (0)1 47 03 68 65

E-mail: latecoere@fticonsulting.com

 

Signify Corporate Communications
Elco van Groningen
Tel: +31 6 1086 5519
E-mail: elco.van.groningen@signify.com

 

Huneed Technologies

Matt Kim

Tel: +82-10-4917-2896

E-mail: Donghokim2@huneed.com

About Latécoère

 

Latécoère is a tier 1 partner to major international aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Embraer, Dassault, Boeing and Bombardier), in all segments of the aeronautical market (commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft), specializing in two fields:

 

  • Aerostructures (58% of total revenue): fuselage sections and doors.
  • Interconnexion systems (42% of total revenue): onboard wiring, electrical harnesses and avionics bays.

 

At 31 December 2018, Latécoère employed 4,958 people in 13 different countries. Latécoère, a French corporation (société anonyme) with capital of €189,637,036 divided into 94,818,518 shares with a par value of €2 per share, is listed on Euronext Paris - Compartment B. ISIN codes: FR0000032278 - Reuters: LAEP.PA - Bloomberg: LAT.FP

About Huneed Technologies

 

uneed Technologies, a longstanding developer and manufacturer of tactical wireless communication systems for the South Korean military, is now poised to manufacture avionics equipment and become a global provider of maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.

 

In the past ten years, Huneed Technologies has evolved from a Boeing-invested company to a key global supplier for Boeing Defense and Space. Prestigious achievements, including the 2016 Boeing Performance Excellence Award and a nomination for Boeing Supplier of the Year, have punctuated Huneed’s reputation as a trusted, global aerospace supplier.

 

Huneed’s strategic and measured growth in the aerospace market has led to its position as the contract manufacturing partner of choice for some of the world’s largest global aerospace firms.

About Signify

 

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. With 2018 sales of EUR 6.4 billion, we have approximately 27,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been named Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for three years in a row. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.

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