American Airlines offers satellite WiFi to its entire mainline fleet

Posted on 17/06/2019 by Engadget RSS Feed

If you're relying on American Airlines for a summer trip, there's a good chance you'll have internet access most of the way. The company has finished deploying satellite-based internet access to the fleet of 700-plus narrowbody aircraft that mainly...

United becomes first US airline to offer overseas WiFi with satellite-equipped 747

Posted on 15/01/2013 by Zach Honig

Lufthansa's been pulling (relatively) speedy Ku-band satellite internet from the heavens for a bit over two years, but now trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific WiFi has finally made its way to a US-based carrier. United, the first US airline to fly the Dreamliner, announced today that a Boeing 747-400 is currently flying around the globe with a constant connection, letting passengers hop online during any portion of the flight -- taxi, takeoff and landing being are a few obvious exceptions, but there's no requirement that the aircraft operate within range of air-to-ground transmitters, a la Gogo.

The installed equipment, manufactured by Panasonic, will provide two tiers of service: Standard, which will range in price from $4 to $15, and a speedier Accelerated flavor, with pricing between $6 and $20. The service, which has also been installed on a pair of regional Airbus A319s, isn't as speedy as ViaSat's future Ka-band offering, but it's a step above what's currently on board. United also announced plans to bring WiFi to its A320, along with Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft -- the airline expects installation to be completed on 300 planes by the end of this year. Still missing on many United flights, however, are power jacks -- it's difficult to take advantage of in-flight WiFi if your laptop is dead.

Update: Satellite WiFi historians may be familiar with Boeing's failed Connexion service, which promised a similar solution but dissolved prematurely in late 2006. United's implementation is the first of its kind for a US carrier.

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JetBlue Ka-band high-speed internet now arriving in early 2013, eight times faster than the competition

Posted on 18/09/2012 by Ben Gilbert

JetBlue Airways' high-speed wireless initiative is being held in a flight pattern until "early 2013," apparently. The company announced as much in a detailed blog post this afternoon, which also compared speeds of its forthcoming in-plane high-speed internet to the competition -- JetBlue's Ka-band operates roughly eight times faster than the Ku-band competition, and over nine times faster than ATG. Moreover, Ka-band can scale to a full plane of passengers, meaning everyone gets the "at-home experience" they'd like regardless of how many folks are signed on. As previously noted, the "basic Wi-Fi" service with JetBlue will cost nothing -- which sounds to us like there are plans to reveal a more expensive tier (or tiers) in the near future. But then again, we really like free things.

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JetBlue Ka-band high-speed internet now arriving in early 2013, eight times faster than the competition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Delta expanding Gogo in-flight WiFi to select international flights beginning in 2013

Posted on 29/06/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Delta Airlines isn't a stranger to offering WiFi on many of its domestic US flights, but using Gogo's air-to-ground connection setup has essentially kept it from taking off over the seas. That's all set to change come 2013, however, as 150 of Delta's long-haul aircraft will make use of all those high-bandwidth Ku-band capacity satellites that Gogo has been acquiring over the past few months. The updated setup will ensure that you can update your Facebook status over the likes of the Atlantic, but it won't be fully rolled out until about 2015. By that time, the airline estimates it'll be operating around 1,000 Gogo-equipped aircraft worldwide -- not too shabby. If anything, the wait to hit 10,000 feet is surely going be more interesting for all the international work-a-holics out there. Hit up the press release after the break for more details in the meantime.

Continue reading Delta expanding Gogo in-flight WiFi to select international flights beginning in 2013

Delta expanding Gogo in-flight WiFi to select international flights beginning in 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gogo spreads its in-flight WiFi wings further with SES satellite deal

Posted on 19/06/2012 by Jason Hidalgo

Rejoice frequent-flying lovers of the Interwebs. All systems continue to be a go for in-flight WiFi provider Gogo as the company inks a deal with yet another satellite operator. A new agreement with global satellite company SES puts Gogo closer to providing seamless WiFi for passengers on intercontinental flights that use its service -- SES' coverage area includes the United States, Europe and the Atlantic Ocean region. The agreement comes along the heels of deals signed by Gogo with Inmarsat for Ka-band frequency service and AeroSat to use its HR6400 satellite communication system for Ku-band connections. The company says Ku-band service could be available on commercial flights using Gogo's network as early as the end of this year, providing more options for, say, Airtime video chat hijinks. As long as Internet access prevents bored kids from kicking the back of our airline seats, then it's all good.

Continue reading Gogo spreads its in-flight WiFi wings further with SES satellite deal

Gogo spreads its in-flight WiFi wings further with SES satellite deal originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gogo and AeroSat get friendly on Ku-band, bring international in-flight WiFi closer

Posted on 18/05/2012 by Jon Fingas

Gogo has a virtual lock on in-flight WiFi for the US, but most of us forget that everything goes dark the moment you decide to cross the border. The company already has a deal with Inmarsat for Ka-band Internet connections, and now it's partnering up with AeroSat to bring Ku-band satellite access. The tie-in will let Gogo offer precious relief from tedium on international flights, whether it's a modest hop to the Great White North or an hours-long trip across the ocean. Gogo considers the deal an interim step until Inmarsat's technology is ready, making for much quicker availability than if it had just waited until it could use Ka-band: Ku-band satellite linkups should be on airliners as soon as the end of 2012, while Ka-band won't even show its face until at least late 2014. It's unknown what kind of premium we'll pay over the $13 maximum Gogo normally charges, but if AeroSat lets us squeak in a few more Twitter updates on our way home from Barcelona, it'll be worthwhile.

Continue reading Gogo and AeroSat get friendly on Ku-band, bring international in-flight WiFi closer

Gogo and AeroSat get friendly on Ku-band, bring international in-flight WiFi closer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.