Based on the following email, it looks like broadband is coming to an airline near you. A co-worker mentioned Southwest and JetBlue will also be providing broadband access for transcontinental flights.
American Will Be The First U.S. Airline To Launch Aircell’s Real-time Broadband Connectivity
American Airlines is committed to enhancing the travel experience for its customers as the first aircraft installation of the Aircell® Internet broadband connectivity solution has been completed. American, which will be the first U.S. airline to offer customers Aircell’s Internet broadband solution, plans on additional installations and testing of the technology in 2008 on all 15 of its Boeing 767-200 aircraft that primarily fly transcontinental routes.
Aircell’s exclusive air-to-ground broadband system will provide customers with an Internet connection, VPN (virtual private network) access, and e-mail capabilities through all Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, PDAs and portable gaming devices. Customers will experience speeds similar to wireless, mobile, broadband services on the ground
After testing and certification is completed, customer benefits will also include:
• Complimentary access to AA.com including services such as gates and times, fares and AAdvantage information, • Access to the Wall Street Journal Digest Edition, • Compatibility with VPNs used to access corporate intranets and exchange email, • And seamless coverage over the continental U.S. above 10,000 feet.
Aircell will offer the connectivity solution to American Airlines customers in all classes of service on the B767-200 aircraft for a fee.
The jet engine puts me to sleep, but for those of you who need your online fix even in the air. There’s hope in your future.
UPDATED 06/15/2008: Updated links to coverage maps
If you haven’t jumped on the 3G bandwagon, you’re missing out. Spend your unexpected delays finishing up things you have to do, so you have more time to do things you want to do. It’s not like you have too many choices when sitting in an airport terminal or cab.
All the major carriers offer some version of broadband access over the 3G network, usually focused in heavily populated cities across the states. If you’re heading somewhere less populated, you can check ahead to see what type of broadband coverage to expect.
Follow the links and save yourself the trouble of digging through the carrier websites:
Verizon happened to include a coverage map without the need to supply a zipcode.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for reliable and ubiquitous broadband access regardless of where you are. Until then, it’s all about the coverage maps.