JetBlue introduces free in-flight email, IM

In a welcome first for domestic airlines, JetBlue will be rolling out free in-flight Yahoo IM and email services to passengers packing WiFi-equipped devices, starting aboard its new "BetaBlue" Airbus A320. Once this test-bed passenger jet reaches 10,000 feet, an in-plane network with three in-ceiling access points is activated, allowing most any wireless gadget with a Flash-enabled browser to view specialized versions of either Yahoo Messenger or Mail through a universal landing page. What's more, owners of certain BlackBerry handsets like the 8820 or Curve 8320 can keep feeding their addictions non-stop thanks to an agreement between JetBlue and RIM.

Bandwidth for these services is provided by LiveTV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the carrier that provides the entire fleet with select DirecTV and XM radio channels, and which also happens to possess a valuable 1MHz slice of ground-to-air spectrum that it's deploying for this very purpose (with the help of some 100 existing cell towers around the country). If all goes well in what is admittedly a beta test, more aircraft will receive the WiFi makeover, and more features -- such as access to terabytes of locally-stored multimedia content -- will be rolled out, along with additional service providers besides Yahoo. Just don't expect an open pipe any time soon: that sweet little slice of spectrum is not nearly robust enough to handle the heavy Slinging, VoIPing, and Torrenting you all would obviously be doing.

[euclid @ Dec 6th 2007 7:21AM]

Russell Peters!!!

[Delvis343 @ Dec 7th 2007 8:57PM]

Your momma is so fat...

[Jaxim @ Dec 6th 2007 7:49AM]

"allowing most any wireless gadget with a Flash-enabled browser to view "

Maybe this will convince Apple to finally add flash player support to the iPhone and iPod Touch. This is one of the features that is missing from the Apple product that is stopping me from making the purchase.

[Benson @ Dec 6th 2007 7:22PM]

N800 will work... :p
But I don't _want_ Yahoo mail, and I don't expect most iPhone users do either. I use gmail. I would expect most people have their own e-mail accounts elsewhere, so this doesn't look especially helpful. Let's hope they open it up to more e-mail services soon.

[tigs @ Dec 6th 2007 7:58AM]

It's a nice start, but why only Yahoo mail? They should make any web-based mail program accessible.

[bradketler @ Dec 6th 2007 5:36PM]

Obviously they have a deal with Yahoo to subsdize the service.

[Kasey @ Dec 6th 2007 8:49AM]

Pretty cool

[brock @ Dec 6th 2007 8:56AM]

This announcement makes me happy in my pants

[Anthony @ Dec 6th 2007 5:27PM]

Thank God. I've been saying to myself for years:

"You know, the 4 hrs each month I sit on a plane is really straining my relationships. I sure wish I could be in touch w/ people 24hr per day."

Seriously, when they get Blackberry service up & running talk to me. Any "colleagues" I'm talking to via Yahoo Mail can wait.

Finally, I used the plane time as "clear out the inbox" time. It keeps me under 300 messages & makes our admin folks very happy.

[jj @ Dec 6th 2007 6:28PM]

The story totally says you can use Blackberrys with Wifi. Neat indeed.

[Anthony @ Dec 6th 2007 6:42PM]

Those are just the last two models. I wonder why support is so limited.

[Bobby @ Dec 6th 2007 5:41PM]

Awesome. Kudos to jetblue and yahoo for thinking forward and advancing technology in the US.

[joseph siegel @ Dec 6th 2007 5:52PM]

so 1000 cell towers is enough to provide coverage to a plane at 25,000 feet no matter where they fly in the us? or are the towers laid out along the plans flight path?

[robotrock @ Dec 6th 2007 5:57PM]

i don't use any yahoo crap so oh well =\

[teej @ Dec 6th 2007 6:17PM]

yeah, but would Neil Patrick Harris use it?

[m @ Dec 6th 2007 6:27PM]

absolutely. check it out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

[teej @ Dec 6th 2007 6:31PM]

lol nice try, but NPH doesn't get rickrolled...he does the Doogrolling.

[Viper @ Dec 6th 2007 6:36PM]

Heard of satellites Siegel? Damn there are some stupid people in the world.

[Jonathan @ Dec 6th 2007 6:58PM]

1MHz slice of ground-to-air spectrum that it's deploying for this very purpose (with the help of some 100 existing cell towers around the country).

[thethirdmoose @ Dec 6th 2007 6:59PM]

...like people who can't use the reply button?

[Anthony @ Dec 6th 2007 7:22PM]

Oh, yeah- thethirdmoose got 'cha. Best sit yo' ass back down.

[Jim @ Dec 6th 2007 6:58PM]

Free until the airline goes though a downturn, in which case they'll make you purchase 5 minute blocks for $5 at a time, just swipe your credit card!

[Yankees368 @ Dec 6th 2007 7:27PM]

hey, they already have the credit card swipe machines at each seat!

[Dave @ Dec 7th 2007 11:36AM]

Actually, in-flight Internet is almost here as well:

http://www.techconsumer.com/2007/12/07/wifi-in-the-sky-in-flight-internet-almost-here/

[Edwards Steven @ Dec 7th 2007 12:38PM]

absolutely. check it out:
http://www.myrezeki.com

[brigg o\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' dread @ Dec 8th 2007 5:41PM]

jet blue also sells your personal data to the government, because they love you...

[Nizzel @ Dec 9th 2007 12:31AM]

the cell phone industry does not use satellites - they utilize existing ground towers. there are over 50,000 towers in the US that are used for carrier service. More getting to the next city safely, less annoying yahoo users trying to pretend like they are important. Data and $$ comments are dead on. Nothing is free.