Originally Posted by
d00t
I sometimes wonder if most people REALLY want fast internet on planes.
Or if they actually want:
- Stable internet for whatsapp/messenger
- Enough bandwidth to do basic tasks like email without risks of blackspots
- Something like Netflix or youtube to distract them from 16 hours in economy class
Sadly, I see fast internet used for:
- Business video calls
- Porn
In many ways, no internet is better than fast internet.
This best represents my personal opinion.
I completely get it that in today's world, business people will need access to emails and messaging services.
And being able to stream entertainment type content (THROUGH HEADPHONES) would make long haul travel a lot more bearable (especially in Y).
All of this can be done without disturbing / inconveniencing other passengers.
I even understand that it would be helpful to be able to have (business) voice or even video calls, but there the rather obvious problem is that you disturb the many people who share the space on this small tube with you, which swings the balance against allowing 'sound' emitting.
So then it must be possible to have multi user messaging conferences until you are off that tube. It is never more than 16 hours and even that is very rare. If the other people in the conversation are aware that you will be available face to face via Teams or Zoom or whatever in a few hours time, they should respect that. Also, how about confidentiality of those conversations....
I don't even want to start to go to the FaceTime type calls: "Hi granny, guess where I am" at the top of the passenger's voice.
I don't buy the story that you are also disturbed by inebriated fellow passengers or crying / unruly children. That does not support the idea of adding to the pandemonium!
The sooner the airlines start setting rules and enforcing them, the better the chance that they will be respected / followed. The closer we get to the norm that 'this is what happens', the more difficult it becomes to get this particular genie back into the bottle.
(and by the way, if you really have to watch porn, please do it in such a way that others can't watch and with the sound off

)