Wifi Revolution

Thanks to a new collaboration between ZTE USA, Qualcomm, and in-flight broadband services provider, Aircell, frequent fliers will soon be able to enjoy enhanced Internet services.

 

Global telecommunications equipment and network solutions provider, ZTE (News - Alert) USA, and the developer of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, Qualcomm, will create the networking platform that will operate with Aircell’s new Inflight Internet service, Gogo.

 

Gogo turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with reliable in-flight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, send and recieve e-mail, Instant Message, access a corporate VPN and more.

 

The Gogo service was initially launched in August on select American Airlines flights. Aircell’s Air-to-Ground (ATG) service relies on ZTE’s EV-DO Rev. A base stations and IP switching platform and Qualcomm’s (News - Alert) aircraft-mounted modems. ZTE, Aircell and Qualcomm’s R&D group worked closely to develop a solution that would enhance the performance of the in-flight service.

 

To ensure that airline customers receive Aircell’s service no matter where they are traveling in the U.S., ZTE’s base stations are stationed all over the country. While en route, subscriber WiFi (News - Alert) traffic is sent to ZTE’s CDMA EV-DO Rev. A networking equipment via Qualcomm’s modems that are aircraft-mounted. The technology was created to accommodate the high speed and high altitude of aircraft connecting with the base station. As a result, the service significantly improves upon previous in-flight wireless services, which were slow, costly and complicated.

 

“At ZTE, we are committed to developing customized and flexible solutions that enable our customers and partners to offer their own customers the most innovative and desirable applications and services,” said Dr. George Sun, CEO, ZTE USA. “In this instance, by working closely with Aircell and Qualcomm, we were able to tap into the brightest R&D minds available to create the most cutting-edge and flexible networking platform. We look forward to working with Aircell and Qualcomm to scale the platform to support increasing demand and future expansion of the service.”

 

“Qualcomm was pleased to collaborate with Aircell and ZTE to help enable this unique wireless data innovation,” explained Ahmad Jalali, vice president of technology for Qualcomm. “EV-DO Rev. A was a clear choice for creating a powerful, spectrally efficient and high-speed data connection to carry the aircraft’s passenger traffic to ZTE base stations on the ground.”

 

According to Aircell, over 65 percent of business travelers and one-third of all leisure travelers in the United States carry laptops onboard when they fly. In addition, 30 percent carry Wi-Fi enabled phones and PDAs. However, with no way to connect their device, passengers remain in an “offline” world between takeoff and landing.

A 2007 research study shows that Internet access is the number-one in-flight service request by airline travelers, followed closely by video on-demand.

 

“When designing our industry-first in-flight mobile broadband service, we were searching for companies that would work hand-in-hand with us to create a flexible and customized networking platform that was optimized for our unique ATG needs,” stated Joe Cruz, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Aircell. “We found those allies in ZTE and Qualcomm. As a result, we are able to offer our customers the best possible broadband experience on North America’s only comprehensive Inflight Internet service.”

 

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ZTE USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, a global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions. ZTE USA is leveraging ZTE's proven strength in IP and wireless technologies, strong R&D capability, and strategic industry partnerships to bring innovative wireless and wireline solutions and mobile handsets to the U.S. market.

 

ZTE Corporation commits approximately 10 percent of annual turnover to research and development and takes a leading role in a wide range of international bodies developing emerging telecoms standards.

 

San Diego-based Qualcomm develops and delivers innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies.

 

Airborne communications provider, Aircell was the winner of an exclusive FCC (News - Alert) frequency license in 2006. The company has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation. In 2008, the Aircell Network and its inflight portal, Gogo, revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet. In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more.

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