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Boeing Connexion, No More Wi-Fi at 30,000 ft?
symonty writes "After 6 years and one billion dollars, Boeing is evaluating whether or not their wifi for planes connectivity business can be a viable business. " I've never had the actual pleasure of evaluating it or not; some folks, however, have said it's a great service.
There are two basic components needed for a useful Wi-Fi connection:
1) A WiFi access point. This is reasonably easy, even if you have to make it play nice on the plane. Flight safety certification/qualification is difficult. The FAA is (understandably) paranoid about such things and I'm glad they are.
2) A connection to the outside world. On an airplane, this is much more difficult. Unless you want the system to be restricted to certain service areas (like CONUS only), this part means "satellite". Satellite means EXPENSIVE. Hell, even to provide full coverage of the CONUS airspace from the ground would be extremely expensive. $1 billion for such infrastructure seems cheap to me.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
> Who is going to pay for an Internet connection on a really long flight when their laptop
> battery can't carry a charge long enough to use it all the way?
Modern long/mediaum haul aircraft have personal power outlets on each seat into which you can plug special power adapters/inverters. I only had a problem once, and that was easily solved by asking the stewardess to turn the power on....
The biggest issue with these kind of internet connections is the price, which would certainly stop me from using it unless the company is willing to foot the bill (Anyway, I'd rather be watching a movie or sleeping than working).
Steve.
First of all, there's no "only" in doing it. WiFi, like mobile phones are designed to punch through walls and compared to the faint signals from the ground, it doesn't take much to disturb them. Still, if that was the true reason they'd offer you a ethernet jack instead. The real issue is the big honking broadband connection from the plane. Try telling the FAA you want to put a high-powered transmitter/reciever onboard a commercial jet. If you were a little start-up with "a few million", you wouldn't even pass the giggle test. You would have spent that money before you even had an overview over all the certifications and tests you had to pass.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
Yes, Boeing getting out of the broadband business, but they are not the only providers of air based broadband. Enter Aircell. They already offer an Iridium (satillite) based data connection products and services. Yes, it's dead slow. You're not going to be playing Doom3 or any other FPS over this link.
A few weeks back Aircell also picked up the spectrum currently used by verizons air-to-ground telephone service (Magnastar). Air-to-ground communications offers lower latency, higher speed data connections. Magnastar will be phased out starting in 2008, coinciding with Aircells new broadband service.
Aircell is poised to roll out a major broadband service by 2008.
You can find out what each airline offers at http://seatguru.com/articles/in-seat_laptop_power. php
The aircraft power supply is usually restricted to 75 watts which is a problem for MacBook Pro and many powerful 17" PC laptops which need more than that.
Most airlines provide power sockets onboard anyways so you can run it on fresh juice. I've never actually used it since most of the time, I dont need more than 1 hr of use on a flight.
I got to test out the Boeing connexion service on a recent flight from Singapore to Paris, where they were giving out something like 15mins of connection free to all passengers that look like they are carrying a laptop. I must say that I was impressed with the service. I thought I felt there was a lag, but like all IP stuff, you can't be sure if its much worse than a landline connection over a wifi network. At the end of the trial, I was happy, but definitely WILL NOT pay top dollars for the service. Knowing how much they charge for a voice call on board, I'm sure the airlines are hoping to charge something ridiculous with it.
So... the technology is nice, but no one except for hte occasional businessman in first class is going to be able to afford it.
ANA (All Nippon Airways) have normal plugs built into each seat. power comes on as soon as you're airborne, so does the internet - and guess what, it all works seamlessly. they'll even lend you a LAN cable if you haven't brought your own - and they also have great service. a bit expensive but well worth it if you fly Tokyo - NY.
just FIY.
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. -- G.B. Shaw