New Ways To Pass The Time

In this morning’s Wall Street Journal:

After years of discussion and delay, U.S. airlines will start offering in-flight Internet connections, instant messaging and wireless email within 12 months, turning the cabin into a WiFi “hotspot.” Carriers are expected to start making announcements around the end of the summer, with service beginning early next year.

Will I be called upon to go row-to-row to help people who can’t connect?

Actually, I think this is a great idea. It will be interesting to see how much bandwidth each plane will have and how quickly someone’s streaming video will bring that to a halt.

Rumored price is under $10 per flight.

5 thoughts on “New Ways To Pass The Time”

  1. I would pay more than $10 on a cross country flight if the bandwidth is good. Its worth it that much to me. But I wouldn’t expect bandwidth to be great. Can they get T-1 speed to a plain via satellite or RF? Will the speed be enough to do more than email? however, its a step in the right direction. Oh and if they let you use wireless on the plane, why can’t you use your cell phone?

  2. Wonder how they are actually supplying the internet connection to the plane. Air to ground Cellular?

    The SAS one was probably ‘Connexion by Boeing’, which, as said, was totally dropped due to lack of interest. It was a rather expensive satellite connection system that a few European airlines offered, but no US Domestic airlines ever saw fit to offer.

  3. great – Even more ways for me to be tied into the office. The airplane was the last bastion of freedom from my desk. Ah well. Its all been downhill since I got that cell phone in 1997.

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