dinosims
Oct 26, 06, 2:37 am
An interesting article discussing various airlines that have WiFi, and how it works. However, there was an interesting tidbit:
An alternative technology is a cellular solution, which utilises an "air-to-ground" link. This has been developed by companies such as AirCell, JetBlue and Verizon, but as the name suggests, an "air-to-ground" solution will only operate when the airplane is flying over landmass, meaning that in practical terms it is only useful for continental US providers – an industry hampered by the effects of 9/11, and not yet in a position to adopt this technology in a serious fashion. However, with some integration of services such as live television, as well as the FCC's allocation of the appropriate frequency spectrum in early 2006, this technology is predicted by some experts to be available in 2007. Its cost should be a fraction of that taken to install the satellite solution, meaning that it may be viable for the continental US market. http://www.otbeach.com/travel-guides/the-definitive-guide-to-airline-wifi-and-internet-access.html
Now, I know that this isn't a very credible source, but I know that B6 won the FCC auction a few months back. Have they already started developing (already developed) this technology? Could this be a reality as early as next year, as the article suggests?
An alternative technology is a cellular solution, which utilises an "air-to-ground" link. This has been developed by companies such as AirCell, JetBlue and Verizon, but as the name suggests, an "air-to-ground" solution will only operate when the airplane is flying over landmass, meaning that in practical terms it is only useful for continental US providers – an industry hampered by the effects of 9/11, and not yet in a position to adopt this technology in a serious fashion. However, with some integration of services such as live television, as well as the FCC's allocation of the appropriate frequency spectrum in early 2006, this technology is predicted by some experts to be available in 2007. Its cost should be a fraction of that taken to install the satellite solution, meaning that it may be viable for the continental US market. http://www.otbeach.com/travel-guides/the-definitive-guide-to-airline-wifi-and-internet-access.html
Now, I know that this isn't a very credible source, but I know that B6 won the FCC auction a few months back. Have they already started developing (already developed) this technology? Could this be a reality as early as next year, as the article suggests?