Not on American and not in the near future... Gogo AA's wifi internet provider transmit its signal from the ground, it's a cheap, easy to use and installing the system takes little time.
The few airlines that offer wifi transcontinental use a satellite-based Internet which is far more expensive to install and use... one major issue is the added weight by the antenna.
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Originally Posted by billbarilko
Quick question...Is wifi available yet on JFK to LHR on the 777's? in searching, it looks like it is not but curious if it is?
How does the sat based system work? Doesn't the sat need a clear line of sight and also continuously moving with the airplane to lock onto the sat? thanks
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Originally Posted by Andaz5
Not on American and not in the near future...
Yes on American, and yes in the not-too-distant future.
AA have announced that international WiFi will be installed on the entire fleet of 772s along with the refit to two cabin configuration, flat-to-the-floor business class, a walk up bar for business class customers and other innovations beginning in 2014. Source
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The few airlines that offer wifi transcontinental use a satellite-based Internet which is far more expensive to install and use... one major issue is the added weight by the antenna.
I think you meant transoceanic rather than transcontinental (the former is widespread and does not require satellite communication). It's worth noting that AA's 772s already have a satellite communications system available for customer use, so potentially the added weight may be mitigated by updating or replacing this existing technology. Source
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Originally Posted by leftpinky
How does the sat based system work? Doesn't the sat need a clear line of sight and also continuously moving with the airplane to lock onto the sat?
One provider's website explaining their service can be viewed here. This is the company BA use for their LCY all business class transatlantic flights.
How does the sat based system work? Doesn't the sat need a clear line of sight and also continuously moving with the airplane to lock onto the sat? thanks
Keep in mind that this is not the first satellite application for airplanes. At best, it's the first bi-direcitonal one.
But unless you're trying to stream from the airplane (ie, send a stream while on the plane), most of your internet time-sensivitiy is going to be on the reception side. (And just because they've said they're going have internet, does that mean they'll support streaming over satellite internet and that that will work well without plenty buffering?)
But anyway, satellite reception on planes has been used for quite a few years now, on a couple US airlines that have DirectTV as their at-seat entertainment. If that works ok (I haven't "paid up" for live TV even when I've flown on a plane that offered it, so I have no personal experience), then that should be a decent barometer for how well satellite internet reception could work.
Earlier this year, I was able to stream Sky sports live coverage of the Manchester derby (soccer) on LH TATL for about 20 Euro. Travelling in F and still had to pay . No problems with buffering etc. For me, it was money well spent and lasted the whole flight. I think the service was provided by T-mobile.
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Originally Posted by NWA747SNN
Earlier this year, I was able to stream Sky sports live coverage of the Manchester derby (soccer) on LH TATL for about 20 Euro. Travelling in F and still had to pay . No problems with buffering etc. For me, it was money well spent and lasted the whole flight. I think the service was provided by T-mobile.
Several years ago when LH was testing the TATL vsat internet service, 2 of my colleagues streamed video of their FA waving at me (they were flying SFO-FRA), while I was streaming video to them from my laptop of me and my backyard construction near SFO.
That was using Skype video. Video quality was quite good, but with a rather low frame rate.
depends on how you define... not too distant future..
I live in Silicon Valley and work in TECH at a company that loves apples!!! we defined no too distant future in a matter of months. American Airlines defines that in a matter of years...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Microwave
Yes on American, and yes in the not-too-distant future.
AA have announced that international WiFi will be installed on the entire fleet of 772s along with the refit to two cabin configuration, flat-to-the-floor business class, a walk up bar for business class customers and other innovations beginning in 2014. Source
I think you meant transoceanic rather than transcontinental (the former is widespread and does not require satellite communication). It's worth noting that AA's 772s already have a satellite communications system available for customer use, so potentially the added weight may be mitigated by updating or replacing this existing technology. Source
One provider's website explaining their service can be viewed here. This is the company BA use for their LCY all business class transatlantic flights.
. No problems with buffering etc. For me, it was money well spent and lasted the whole flight. I think the service was provided by T-mobile.
