Travelers who value cheap traveloptions, such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages,sometimes like to access the Internet while in the air. Unfortunately in-flight download speeds areusually quite slow.
Hopefully this will soon change as a result of Gogo, thelargest supplier of in-flight Wi-Fi, deciding to move to a satellite based systemthat will result in vastly improved in-flight entertainment experiences.
Aeromexico and Virgin Atlantic are expected to install thenew service by early December with an additional five airlines planning toequip their fleet by 2017. DeltaAirlines has committed to installing this equipment in over 250 of its planes.
Instead of the current air to ground, cell tower based system;the new satellite service uses two low profile antennas, one for downloadingand another for uploading which results in greater bandwidth.
Wi-Fi has slowly but steadily been expanded onto trains,subways and planes. However acceptableWi-Fi service in the air has to this point been elusive.
In 2014 a survey by Honeywell Aerospace found that half ofthe respondents would be willing to give up another traveling convenience, suchas enduring airport security twice, for Wi-Fi that is as fast as it is at home.
The major impediment to such speedy Wi-Fi has not beenfederal regulations or innovative technology. Instead passengers have largely proven unwilling to pay for Wi-Fi whilein the air. Current per flight pricingin the U.S. ranges from $10 to almost $50, depending on the type of device,flight duration, and demand, has resulted in 90 percent of passengers decidingnot to connect.
Most passengers are reluctant to pay high prices for slowWi-Fi access.
Satellite service will offer savings to airlines, whichwill no longer have to pay for expensive in-flight entertainment systems or paylicensing fees for content.
Passengers will be happier because they will be given abroader selection of entertainment from which to choose such as YouTube, Hulu,Netflix, and possibly FaceTime and Periscope. Airlines have agreed to install power outlets next to seats so thatlaptops and portable devices can be recharged.
Parents of small children and electronics obsessed teenswill be delighted at the thought of useable Internet on long flights. However, such service will not be welcomed byeveryone.
While some business travelers may be pleased to be able towork via Wi-Fi while in the air, others in the past have looked forward tobeing able to simply relax on planes and not face continuous interaction withtheir offices.
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