Originally Posted by
Critic
Let's not lose sight of the fact that in-flight WiFi isn't as simple as UA ordering a few hundred Linksys routers. You're talking about a system that relies on a satellite link for service and an FAA approval before it can be rolled out. Neither happens quickly.
True, though it is to the point now that gogo is able to deploy a system on STC-approved planes in an overnight MX visit, so the process isn't terribly slow. One of the two systems that United is depending on is already functional and there is hardware certified and ready to be deployed. It still needs to be certified on the UA planes, but the Panasonic stuff should pretty much be plug-and-play at this point, at least in the context of aircraft upgrades. The LiveTV bits are somewhat behind given that VIASAT-1 was launched only at the end of last year and that there is still plenty of testing going on there; it isn't really into production yet, nor is the transponder hardware for the planes.