Wifi Revolution

American Airlines, a founding member of the global oneworld Alliance, has signed a memorandum of intent with AirCell (News - Alert), LLC, to be the first U.S. airline to test the capability of providing passengers with AirCell’s high-speed broadband connectivity.

 

The test is expected to be conducted in 2008 on American’s Boeing 767-200 aircraft that primarily fly transcontinental routes, and the technology will be available in all classes of the B767-200 aircraft for a fee. The company states that if the solution is successful, it could be extended to the rest of American’s domestic fleet.

 

American Airlines officials said the solution will provide passengers with a high-speed Internet connection, VPN access and e-mail capabilities through WiFi (News - Alert)-enabled laptops and PDA devices. Officials explained that the system has the ability to adapt as technology evolves.

 

“We understand that broadband connectivity is important to our business customers and others who want to use their PDAs and laptops for real-time, in-flight broadband communications,” Dan Garton, executive vice president of marketing at American Airlines, said in a statement. “This is part of our continuing effort to enhance the travel experience for our customers and meet their evolving needs.”

 

He also added that his company is excited to provide solutions that will give American Airlines passengers the opportunity to make high-speed Internet connections from unprecedented heights. He remarked, “We consider it a 30,000-foot answer to many of our business travelers’ needs.”

 

In August, Aircell had announced that it is teaming with American Airlines to test broadband services.

 

The technology will use three antennas installed on the outside of the aircraft — two on the bottom of the aircraft and one on top. AirCell will provide cellular towers throughout the continental United States to transmit the signal. The signals received inside the cabin will be 802.11a/b/g WiFi signals.

 

Jack Blumenstein, CEO at Aircell, commented, “As the first airline to deploy broadband access, American is demonstrating its commitment to the business traveler and to its industry-leading position in technological innovation.”

 

The technology from AirCell is subject to strict requirements set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration through an exclusive license from the Federal Communications Commission. Both agencies oversee the use of broadband and wireless signals by aircraft flying over the continental United States.

 

 

 

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