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Delta opens up the friendly skies to WiFi

The airline industry is forging ahead, despite tough times due to rising gas costs.  Boeing is preparing its hot new 787 Dreamliners and Airbus is currently producing its A380 jumbo jets.

Now there's exciting news for travelers from Delta Airlines.  Delta, which offers the most destinations of any world airline with 312 destinations in 61 countries, is rolling out a special surprise for its customers.  No, it's not cell phone usage -- cell phone use is still banned on its planes during flight, as per FAA orders.

What it is offering is broadband to all its customers.  The move makes it the only major U.S. airline to offer broadband Wi-Fi access on its entire domestic mainline fleet.  Such service is typically a luxury class only item, if offered at all.  The service will be available for a flat fee of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours. 

Delta is partnering with airborne communications leader Aircell to offer the service.  The new service will be named "Gogo" and will provide service to users’ laptops, cell phones, or PDAs.  All 330 mainline aircraft in the U.S. will be receiving the service.  The first to get it will be 133 MD88/90 aircraft.  From there, it will be installed on the remaining 200 Boeing 737, 757 and 767-300 aircraft throughout the first half of 2009.

By the summer of 2009, Delta plans to have the service complete.  Says Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer, "Delta remains committed to providing a travel experience that maximizes the time our customers spend with us onboard by offering them even more productivity options.  Our customers asked for in-flight connectivity, and we’re responding by rolling out the most extensive Wi-Fi network in the sky.  Beginning this fall, our passengers will have the ability to stay connected when they travel with us throughout the continental U.S."

Aircell was selected because its technology is ultra-light and requires relatively little space.  Aircell also offers rapid overnight installation.  Jack Blumenstein, President and CEO, Aircell states, "The advent of Air-To-Ground (ATG) technology has made broadband connectivity in the cabin economically viable for the first time for commercial airlines."

The company's new networks is based on the frequency it won exclusive rights to from the FCC in 2006.

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So is there some technological reason?
By spuddyt on 8/5/2008 10:49:45 AM , Rating: 2
that its safe to have wifi, and yet not to have cellphones (which I can't imagine can get signal anyway...), I mean isn't the fear that the signal will in some way affect the plane's electronics?




RE: So is there some technological reason?
By phatboye on 8/5/2008 10:55:55 AM , Rating: 5
I think cellphones are banned because no one wants to hear some loud mouth teenager yapping on about how Becky is cheating on Robert with Jason for an entire 4 hour flight and more than anything. Personally I like it that way.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By Chaser on 8/5/2008 11:20:54 AM , Rating: 5
Or the self absorbed business man that has to make sure everyone within 10 rows of seats has to hear every word of his conversation.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By icrf on 8/5/2008 12:13:51 PM , Rating: 2
That, too.

The problem is mostly that the hum on the plane make it harder to hear. When people have a hard time hearing, they assume that the other end does, too, and feel the need to talk very loudly to compensate for something that doesn't exist.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By Denithor on 8/5/2008 12:34:12 PM , Rating: 5
And exactly what do you think will happen now? When you can hook up to WiFi and use Skype or another VOIP to chat merrily away with friends/family/coworkers/customers at the top of your lungs?


By imperator3733 on 8/5/2008 1:08:13 PM , Rating: 5
I don't think many people will be using Skype on a plane. If they do, it will probably annoy people, hopefully leading to that use being banned. I do think that it would be okay to allow all non-voice cellphone uses (texting, internet, etc.). Those aren't going to bother people that much.


By fic2 on 8/5/2008 1:13:52 PM , Rating: 2
I don't know what teenagers you know, but the ones I know only text message.

I agree with the self involved businessman - I hear him everywhere.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By Elementalism on 8/5/2008 11:00:29 AM , Rating: 3
The cell phone ban is a joke and has been for over a decade. In 1996 Boeing and the FAA conducted a series of tests on a 737 at altitude. Using devices like cell phones within the plane but with much stronger signals than one gets from a typical cell phone and they hit it from outside with a barrage of signals. The result was nothing happened.

If you track the history of the ban you will notice airlines introduced the airphone which competed with cell phones. The airlines could charge an arm and foot to use their cell service if they banned the use of personal cell phones. To this day the cell phones remain banned when there is 0 scientific proof they are a danger to the plane.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By FITCamaro on 8/5/2008 2:03:33 PM , Rating: 4
I really don't freakin care. The last thing I want on a plane is to listen to 50+ people all carry on a loud conversation. I hope the ban stays in place and with this wifi rollout, they block skype and other VOIP protocols.


By Zoomer on 8/5/2008 4:09:28 PM , Rating: 2
Except there's no real way to really fully block it. SSH tunneling galore!

So...voip for the geeks?


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By IsDanReally on 8/5/2008 11:08:45 AM , Rating: 2
phatboy definitely has the right idea. Cell phone use is banned likely because airlines have yet to figure out how to implement it with pissing the majority of fliers off. As much as I like to be able to use a cell phone anywhere, I would never fly on an airline where I had to sit next to people using the phone. Perhaps if people could somehow have proper manners (ie speak in a normal voice and not the entire flight) it would be fine, but that will likely never happen.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By fic2 on 8/5/2008 1:19:05 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
Cell phone use is banned likely because airlines have yet to figure out how to implement it with pissing the majority of fliers off.

Have you flown recently? Pissing passengers off is the airline's core competency.


By FITCamaro on 8/6/2008 7:17:39 AM , Rating: 1
Bash the airlines all you want. There's little they can do about high fuel prices and having to recoup costs somewhere. Airlines are either already bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy.

As far as delays and cancellations, they can't control the weather and when you're barely able to stay in business, its kind of hard to reinvest in new planes/upgraded planes that might be more reliable.


RE: So is there some technological reason?
By bobsmith1492 on 8/5/2008 12:18:47 PM , Rating: 1
Cell phones use the same 2.4GHz band as wireless ethernet. No, there's no technological reason but I'm still glad they're banned! (per other posts above...)


By Zoomer on 8/5/2008 4:18:59 PM , Rating: 2
No, they don't. There's a reason why 2.4Ghz is called the unlicensed band.


By oab on 8/5/2008 4:26:31 PM , Rating: 4
No, cell phones use 800/900/1800/1900 mhz bands.


What about power....
By xander85 on 8/5/2008 10:40:05 AM , Rating: 5
Will they also offer power for electronics? I know some airlines offer power for laptops but this would be a big deal breaker in my eyes. My laptop lasts 2.5 hrs at the most.




RE: What about power....
By Doormat on 8/5/2008 10:50:05 AM , Rating: 3
Check Seatguru.com to see what seats have power and which ones don't.

To answer your specific question, no most DL planes don't have power outside first/business class.


RE: What about power....
By phatboye on 8/5/2008 10:51:33 AM , Rating: 2
Sorry xander I accidently rated you down when I meant to hit the reply button. Someone rate this guy back up for me.

Anyway I doubt that power would come free as these days airlines are charging for simple things like snacks, baggage, pillows, blankets and even water things that airlines used to give away for free.


RE: What about power....
By HakonPCA on 8/5/2008 11:15:28 AM , Rating: 5
once you post on an article, all your votes get removed; in other