Internet In The Sky Coming Back

from the that-didn't-take-long dept

Following the events of September 11, airlines who had previously been pushing hard for internet access in the air, suddenly decided they had other priorities. However, companies keep pushing forward to try to offer the service. The latest is a company called Immarsat, which says they'll offer internet access via satellite over antennas already installed on many planes. It will offer data speeds of up to 64 kilobits per second (the phrase "up to" always scares me). They say that it will cost the airlines $11 to $15 per minute - which they can decide how to pass on to passengers (probably at twice the cost). While I think it would be great to have internet access in the sky, this sounds pretty slow and pretty expensive to ever really catch on.

Leave a Comment..