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In-flight Broadband Internet Access Trial's Success

Posted by Hemos on from the making-the-connection dept.

flash_cube writes "Boeing Co.'s 'Connexion' business unit finally demoed its in-flight WiFi (802.11b) service this weekend ... even as (noted in this previous /. article) struggling U.S. carriers pull out of the joint venture. Still Boeing promises availability on other airlines in 'early 2003.'"

9 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. SPAM at 35000 feet! by LibertineR · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great! Now my hotmail spam can reach me ANYWHERE!

  2. Lufthansa already has it by Psychic+Burrito · · Score: 5, Insightful
    If you don't care about WiFi and can live with a cable-connection in the plane, Lufthansa will provide you with internet access for transatlantic flights right now.

    The question remains: Why are cellphones forbidden while WiFi is obviously allowed in planes? Don't we all remember the englishman that got jailed for using his cell?

    1. Re:Lufthansa already has it by kc0dby · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Possibly because cell phones operate on completely different frequencies and can reach much higher power levels than Wi-Fi?

      As far as general interference is concerned, a slight frequency shift is not going to make any difference. Most digital cell phones nowadays actually transmit in the 2.4Ghz area, and while the frequencies are distinct, they are not significantly different from WiFi to create a different interference problem.

      And as far as the power difference, cell phones automatically trim back their power when they are in favorable transmission conditions, such as, say, when you have direct line of sight with hundreds of towers from FL380. And on top of that- power/distance formula for electromagnetic waves will help you deduce that a 2.4872 Ghz carrier at 500mW (full power for every handheld phone I've owned in the past 5 years) will cause nearly identical interference to that of a 2.4025 Ghz carrier at 100mW. (common power for Wifi)

      I've worked at quite a few companies that had radio controlled locomotives or overhead cranes, and many of them had a 'no cell phone on site' policy when cell phones first became popular. The claim was that they could interfere with equipment, creating a safety hazard (much like the airlines claim) After my supervisor asked me to research actual safety issues involved, and finding the protocols used for these digital radio control devices to be quite failsafe, it was determined by higher-ups that safety, in fact, wasn't an issue.

      However, the no cell phone policy was redefined as 'except for business purposes' and the actual reasoning behind the original policy became obvious- they didn't want employees making personal calls during business hours. The policy was profit motivated, much as the airlines policy is. Yeah, they don't have in-seat phones on the little puddle jumpers- but they don't really want the customers to know what the motivation behind the policy is.

      And before I get any responses about the FAA being the problem, not the airlines- remember, the government is a puppet of the corporations, and the FAA is definately NOT an exception.

      --
      I apparently forgot that sig != uptime...
  3. Can't wait to try it... by vwpau227 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I remember trying to send a few e-mails from the in-seat phone on a plane once (it was a long trip, from Toronto to Vancouver, a few years ago, and I was bored). The message took forever to send, the connection was so slow, and it was such a pain to set up. And the phone bill was huge at the end of it! I remember writing that it was costing me more per minute to send this e-mail message than it was to talk on one of those "Telephone Psychic" lines.

    This sounds like a great idea... I'd love ot try it. This sure would make flights (especially long flights) more productive for me and less boring.

    --
    These are the good old days you'll be telling your children about. Make them worthwhile.
  4. Re:... right now they're removing phone service by ViGe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now is certainly not the time to put WiFi in planes.

    How come? How can they know that the stuff does not make them any money if they don't try it?

    --
    It has to work - rfc1925
  5. Too bad there's still so much lag. by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From Reuters:

    Connexion executives said data transmission speeds for the demo should be about five megabits per second coming into the plane and 128 thousand bits per second when sending data off the plane. The speed, they said, was similar to digital subscriber line service people have at home, but some users complained it seemed slower.

    My guess is that it's not slower, but has more lag (through a satelite link... bound to be laggy). If that is the case it's fine for browsing, but no good for games...

    Not that it matters, but how cool would it be to play Quake 10 Km up in the air? ;)

    --
    .: Max Romantschuk :: http://max.romantschuk.fi/
  6. Thanks to the Patriot Act by borgdows · · Score: 5, Funny

    RIAA has the right to shot down planes whose internet connection is used to download copyrighted music!

  7. Doesn't solve the basic problem... by stroudie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    IM..(ever-so)..HO the airlines would be better served by extending the availability of in-seat power sockets.

    It would be nice to be able to work/surf/watch-DVDs on a long-haul flight without having to carry your body-weight in spare batteries. ...and now that I've got that off my chest, I feel better now :)

  8. Dangers of In-Flight WiFi by MatthewB79 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sexxxychica: hey cutie wanna cyber?

    BigMan69 I'm horny as hell and I'd love to get freaky with you but I'm on a flight right now :-(

    Sexxxychica: really? me too! I'm flying to Sydney. you?

    BigMan69 Wow I'm on Qantas flight 609 from Honolulu to Sydney.

    Sexxxychica: No joke? I'm in seat 15B! where are you??

    Sexxxychica: You still there?

    Previous message was not received by BigMan69 because of error: User BigMan69 is not available.


    Airline Tickets: $800
    In-Flight WiFi : $30
    Being trapped on a long-ass flight sitting next to a man who knows you were pretending to be a woman and whom you just tried to have cybersex with: Priceless