If you fly a lot on commercial airliners, you may welcome this news: In-flight Internet access may soon become a reality, thanks to a Colorado company that wants to offer Wi-fi service aloft.
AirCell has announced that it plans to use a newly acquired radio spectrum license to offer "affordable" broadband service aboard commercial airplanes. Formed in 1991, the company already sells satellite-based voice and data services to the general aviation sector, primarily the corporate jet set. The new wi-fi service would begin operations sometime early in 2007.
Just like cafe hot spots, AirCell's idea would let passengers link up any computer or handheld using the 802.11b or 802.11g wireless standards while in the air. The network would work by channeling communications from at least one miniature cell site, called a "picocell,"on the plane to special cell sites on the ground.
AirCell's plan would not conflict with a federal ban on in-flight cell phone use because the proposed network operates at a different frequency than that which could pose interference threats to aircraft navigational systems, according to a Federal Communications Commission official. But offering Wi-fi service also means that air travelers could use voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones and applications like Skype to make voice calls, a development sure to make fellow travelers more than a little angry.
Frontier Airlines, which ranks 11th or 12th in size among carriers, is definitely considering a Wi-Fi network for its next phase of in-flight entertainment, but it would likely block VoIP conversations and continue to prohibit cell phone calls. At the moment, AirCell has no other takers in sight.
Precisely how much the company will charge consumers remains unclear. The company says it would aim for a price "well below what one has seen historically in these premium aviation services" in hopes of luring not only business travelers but also the general public.
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