WiFi - HiFly

[Tom]

Yahoo News reports that United Airlines has gained FAA approval for WiFi in the cabin of its 757-200 airplanes to allow passengers access to the internet via satellite. Prices haven't yet been set. The article also reports that "Lufthansa charges international fliers a flat fee of $29.95 for an entire flight or $9.95 for a half-hour."

Now that makes RV travel, our sat connections and WiFi at rallies look more attractive than ever 

 

[BernieD]

Yahoo News reports that United Airlines has gained FAA approval for WiFi in the cabin of its 757-200 airplanes to allow passengers access to the internet via satellite. Prices haven't yet been set. The article also reports that "Lufthansa charges international fliers a flat fee of $29.95 for an entire flight or $9.95 for a half-hour."

Now that makes RV travel, our sat connections and WiFi at rallies look more attractive than ever 

OK Tom, how do you attach the satellite dish to the top of the plane ??? ;D ??? ;D

 

[Tom]

OK Tom, how do you attach the satellite dish to the top of the plane ??? ;D ??? ;D

Good question Bernie, but someone must have already figured it out for this to work ;D

I wonder how long it will take some hacker to figure out how to freeload.

 

[blueblood]

Good question Bernie, but someone must have already figured it out for this to work ;D

I wonder how long it will take some hacker to figure out how to freeload.

It's an old familiar name - Verizon. They are going to use ground based towers to braodcast up to planes.  Line of sight will be prettry good so signal should travel far.

Hacking should be no more a problem than existing tower transmissions. 

 

[Ned]

The story doesn't mention satellite.  I expect this will be a ground based system, probably using Verizons latest high speed data offering, or perhaps, WiMax with its greater range than WiFi.

 

[Tom]

The story doesn't mention satellite. I expect this will be a ground based system

That's what I expect, and the article kinda suggests that by mentioning Verizon's Airfone service. My point was the cost of a WiFi hookup in the plane, not the connection from the plane to ground. I've often longed for a broadband connection on a long-haul flight, but I don't think I'd pay those prices.

 

[Bob Zambenini]

The story doesn't mention satellite.  I expect this will be a ground based system, probably using Verizons latest high speed data offering, or perhaps, WiMax with its greater range than WiFi.

Yes, today's paper said the UA system will be air to ground based and a departure to the Boiing system at Luftansa is using.

Bob

 

[Bob Maxwell]

How many towers do they have in the North Atlantic? : [GD&R]

 

[John From Detroit]

How many towers do they have in the North Atlantic? : [GD&R]

More than you think since many ships have cellular gear installed.  However you don't need that many with the kind of height the plane has, You really don't need that many at all

If you are familure with Michigan, Detroit and Adrian,  I was once chatting with some ham radio operators in Toledo Ohio via a repeater in Adrian.  A ham from Windsor Ontario (Close enough I could see his house from where I was stangind) tried to join us, he was running oh, somewhere around 40 watts ERP (Effective radiated power) at about 40',  I was running closer to 1/4 watt ERP .... at 250 feet.

I made the trip, he did not

Height is might at vhf (this was 146 Mhz area) and above, and the man in the plane has height.

A pilot with a failed avation radio picked up his hand held ham radio rig (also on 146Mhz band) and radioed for someone to call the tower and get him clearence to land... He was in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the repeater I heard (Tower) was in Southfield, Michjigan, I was in Canton Mi (on the ground with a hand held) I and my co-operator got him his green light to land.

 

[Tom]

Now that's a darned good question Bob  ???  Maybe they're using submarine-based repeaters  ;D

The Verizon FAQs say they use satellite service for their Airfones while over water. That, coupled with a comment on their WiFi page, suggests they're using satellite for internet access over the oceans.