In-flightBroadband
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Lufthansa to add in-flight broadband by 2008 for long-hauls
Lufthansa is apparently continuing the airborne scramble to get customers connected, announcing that with the help of T-Mobile it will be reinstating its broadband service (formerly from Connexion) to its long-haul flights by 2008. While other airlines throughout Europe are racing to offer in-flight calling for shorter trips, Lufthansa says that "the vast majority told us they don't want this feature," which makes sense, since no one likes a loud-talker in an enclosed space. Instead, the Cologne-based company is rolling out a service which will allow broadband connections for laptops, text-messaging on phones, and wireless email (and data, we assume) on hand-helds, similar to recent offerings we've seen from other carriers. Of course, Lufthansa's passengers could still be annoyed by chatter if someone gets clever and decides to rock Skype on a trans-atlantic trip -- unless the airline has plans for blocking VoIP. Only they know for sure.
ASiQ looking to fill the Connexion void
Just because Boeing decided to pull the plug on its Connexion service doesn't mean in-flight broadband has been grounded for good, with a company called ASiQ now promising to step in and fill the wireless void. ASiQ -- who recently revealed plans for allowing consumers to use their regular cellphones while flying -- has just announced an upcoming package based on an Inmarsat broadband link that will supposedly cost airlines just $5 to $15 to operate per flight (depending on the size of the aircraft) over a five year lease, meaning users should benefit from much lower fees than the typical $27 Boeing was charging for long-haul international trips. ASiQ will initially show off its attractively-priced system at Miami's World Airlines Entertainment Association conference and exhibition in mid-September, and plans to begin rolling out the commercial service sometime next year. We'll have to wait and see if the supposedly-lower infrastructure costs actually translate to cheap service for consumers, but if we can get our mid-air WiFi on for like five or ten bucks a flight, well, we can certainly envision this project really, um, "taking off."[Via Geekzone]
Boeing looking to sell/scrap Connexion?
After several years of unsuccessfully attempting to coax people into surfing the Internet for a fee instead of sleeping during their international flights, it looks like Boeing has finally given up and started seeking buyers for its Connexion service, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal (subscription required, as usual). While the company had high hopes for the pricey offering (it costs $27 to stay connected for a full flight) when it was announced in April 2000, the lack of adoption by US carriers -- only a handful of foreign airlines such as Lufthansa, Air China, and El Al have installed the necessary equipment -- combined with the lukewarm reception from passengers have convinced Boeing to ditch the service at all costs. The Journal reports that three satellite firms are negotiating to either buy the division outright or become major partners, but if the parties involved are unable to come to an agreement, Boeing is apparently willing to simply dump the service altogether, according to someone familiar with the talks. Still, even if Boeing does decide to drop the ax, this certainly won't be the last you'll hear about in-flight broadband, as airlines have shown that they'll do whatever they can to squeeze a few more bucks out of you after you've already shelled out for your ticket. Headphone rental fee, anyone?[Via MobileRead]
