Mile High Wi-Fi - Will This Technology Work?
(Page 4 of 4 )
Wireless Internet has only a short history in airplanes which dates back to
2001. Boeing launched a service called Connexion back then, and as I have already mentioned, this company failed and went belly-up in 2006. The reasons that this venture failed include high cost, bad service, and no appeal to the passengers to use this service. No U.S. carriers ever signed up for this service because of its high cost. During the five years this service was available, only four airlines signed up for this service by Connexion: Lufthansa, SAS, Japan Airlines, and Japan's ANA, for a total of only 20 routes. AirCell recognizes how in-flight wireless Internet has been unsuccessful in the past, but they are confident that will all change with their services.
It does seem that AirCell knows what they are doing, and they have all of the pieces of the puzzle aligned correctly. The real test of whether or not this service will be successful will be in 2008 after the initial launch. AirCell does recognize some of the challenges that they face in the future, saying "Obviously, connecting to a plane moving 600 miles an hour, flying up to seven miles above the Earth's surface, requires some special technical capability...AirCell's patented airborne technology was demonstrated last year with resounding success."
Donald Schenk, the president of airline consulting firm Airlines Capital Associates, says "I think internet access, if price reasonably, is tremendously interesting to the passenger...It has all the advantages of helping people become more productive without any of the extreme disadvantages of talking on a cell phone and annoying your neighbors." Another consultant by the name of Greg Sterling adds, "a large number of business travelers will welcome this [wireless Internet]."
It seems that the experts believe that it is about time for the Internet to be offered to passengers during flights. I totally agree with the experts on this topic, but I am a bit skeptical about the success of AirCell's new venture. It looks good on paper, but I will need to see if it is successful in the real world. The short track record of Wi-Fi on airplanes is not a good one, but hopefully AirCell can turn that around. There is no doubt in my mind that Wi-Fi will be available on every flight in the future, it's just a matter of when. AirCell LLC may have the right combination of low-priced services and great Wi-Fi coverage to help broadband access during flights become standard in the airline industry.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
