When I first started flying, which was about five years ago, it was not a possibility to access the internet while in flight. Passengers were permitted to use their computers, but were asked to shut off electronic devices such as cell phones which contained a signal or put them in airplane mode. Now many airlines have added wireless internet to their flights. Not only does American Airlines and Delta/Northwest offer this feature currently, but AirTran advertises wireless internet on every flight. According to an article in the L.A. Times Business section here's the basics on how it works: "The network operates through an air-to-ground system that uses three small antennas installed on the aircraft to connect to Aircell's mobile broadband network, which has 92 cell towers throughout the country. The equipment costs about $100,000 per plane to install, but weighs only about 125 pounds...The connection is fast... about 3.1 megabits per second." The article states that passengers can't use the network for making phone calls, however, and mobile internet service on American isn't free. I believe that will be one of the next steps forward for improving flights though, enabling phone calls while in-flight.
No comments:
Post a Comment