By Gemma Simpson, 1 November 2006 15:50
NEWS
In-flight
The development of in-flight broadband is fast gaining momentum, and according to a poll of silicon.com readers it can't come soon enough.
Whether broadband in the sky will ever actually take off, however, is an unanswered question. Boeing's six-year project, offering airline passenger access to the internet, called Connexion had its wings clipped in August 2006.
The list from A to Z
Click on the links below to find out more...
A is for ADSL
B is for BT
C is for Cable & Wireless
D is for Dial-up
E is for Education
F is for Fibre
G is for Goonhilly
H is for HSDPA
I is for In-flight
J is for Janet
K is for Kingston
L is for Landlines
M is for Murdoch
N is for Next generation
O is for Ofcom
P is for Power lines
Q is for Quad-play
R is for Remote working
S is for Satellite phones
T is for Trains
U is for Unbundling
V is for VoIP
W is for WiMax
X is for Xbox
Y is for YouTube
Z is for Zombies
Despite the setback, former Connexion customer airlines, including Japan airlines and Lufthansa, are continuing to offer in-flight broadband services. But both airlines remain uncertain as to how long in-flight broadband will remain available.
A host of airlines are planning to offer in-flight broadband, with BMI trials of broadband services and in-flight mobile underway and Air France committing to a rollout of in-flight mobile connectivity.
Back in June, US company Aircell announced its plans to use a newly acquired radio spectrum licence to offer "affordable" broadband service aboard commercial airplanes. Aircell already sells satellite-based voice and data services to the general aviation sector, primarily corporate jets, and carrier Frontier Airlines is showing interest in a wi-fi network for its next phase of in-flight entertainment.
On a separate note, airline passengers are not so enamoured of the idea of in-flight mobile calls - a recent silicon.com reader poll reacted negatively to the notion, with 75 per cent saying mobiles on planes would be incredibly annoying.
Despite such strength of feeling, the movement to make mile-high mobiles a reality is gathering pace - Ryanair is planning to allow mobile access on all its flights by mid-2007, and Australia's national carrier Qantas has announced its own in-flight mobility incentive.
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1. Paul Allsopp
Need to update the BT Business Units:
BT Internal Business Units changed in 2007: BT Exact more or less equates now to BT Design, the old BT Wholesale is now labelled BT Operate; the new BT Wholesale is now about wholesaling and is the smallest internal unit. BT Retail and BT Global Services remain pretty much as before.