Southwest Airlines, in conjunction with Row 44, has equipped one aircraft with Wi-Fi and is set to equip three additional aircraft by early March 2009.
The service is being offered free, on a trial basis. Passengers may log on to the service via their laptop, iPhone, or wi-fi enabled smart phones. Cellular voice calls will not be supported.
Southwest is also partnering with Yahoo! to offer an in-flight homepage with destination-relevant content. Southwest will be testing the technology for the next few months.
Row 44 says its wireless 802.11b/g network delivers 30 Mbps to the cabin and the equipment for it weighs less than 150 pounds. The Row 44 System may be integrated with existing in-flight entertainment systems and is FAA certified.
Meanwhile OnAir, another satellite-based WiFi provider, uses SwiftBroadbandx, the latest spotbeam technology from Inmarsat, which also offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet. British Airways plans to launch in-flight communications on its new all-business class route from London to New York using OnAir.
Aircell, in contrast, utilizes a network of terrestrial-based cell towers across the United States. That precludes connections on international flights.
Aircell’s Gogo Inflight WiFi service will be available for United customers traveling in all classes of service for a flat fee of $12.95. It will initially be available on the 13 Boeing 757 aircraft that fly between New York’s JFK and California’s two largest airports, in LA and San Francisco. The service is also available on select American Airlines flights, Virgin America flights, United Airlines flights, and many Delta flights. Delta expects to have more than 330 aircraft complete by summer 2009. Gogo WiFi service typically costs passengers $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours.
JetBlue Airways has been testing limited wireless access on one of its aircraft. JetBlue and other airlines, such as Continental, use LiveTV’s satellite-based television programming service. JetBlue, which owns LiveTV, won rights to 1 MHz of the 800-MHz spectrum last year for their internet service.
LiveTV asked the FCC to require Row 44 to demonstrate how its system design would operate “on a non-interference basis” with its provider, ViaSat. ViaSat has accused Row 44 with unauthorized operations.
The NY Times says Not Everyone Is Cheering as Wi-Fi Takes to the Air.
Related DailyWireless stories include; American Airlines Launches Wi-Fi, Aircell WiFi on Delta Airlines, Aircell: We Be 4G, Aircell Takes Off, Row 44: Cleared for Take Off, Bill Banning Airplane Calls Moves Ahead, JetBlue Buys Airfone, FAA: Go For Aircell Launch , Aircell Vs Row44: Two for Two, FlyFi Takes Off, Lufthansa & AA Trying WiFi — Again, Inflight Phones Banned by FAA?, AirCell on Virgin by 2008, Wireless Voice on Airplanes? Yes & No, AirCell Demos Inflight WiFi, Aircell for Planes, FCC Rules on Airplane Cellular, Connexion On Again?, Dis Connexion.
