AIR CONNECT
Akanksha Maker tells you all you need to know about inflight wifi
All you need to know about inflight wifi
Staying connected is probably one of the best ways to keep yourself busy during long haul flights. For those travelling on business, internet on flight is a boon for obvious reasons. It’s hard to imagine how a vessel flying at about 7620 metres above sea-level can provide a seamless (and expensive) connection to its passengers. Interestingly, there is more than one way airlines provide in-flight wifi to their passengers.
AIR-TO-GROUND (ATG) The most widely used, this technology works similar to your cellphone’s data systems. Signals are transmitted through beams to your airplane, until it’s within the accessible geographic limits. This technique results in a speed of 3.1 mbps and is being utilised by 1,500 commercial aircraft.
ATG-4 The next generation technology of ATG launched in 2012, increases the speed to 9.8 mbps by using a directional antennae, which captures the
As of now, airlines such as Emirates and Lufthansa offer internet on their Indian routes, but not within the indian airspace.
beams transmitted the ground more effectively. American, Delta, U.S. Airways and Virgin America use this system on select aircraft.
KU BAND A more advanced system, Ku Band technology works differently from the ATG. Signals are captured through Ku satellites by antennae that are mounted on the airplane, rather than below it. Adopted by Japan and Delta airlines, this technique has the potential to offer speeds up to 30 mbps. GROUND TO ORBIT
(GTO) A hybrid of ATG and Ku Band, GTO technology combines the two by receiving waves from satellite antennae on top of the plane and returning them to earth through ATG antenna under the aircraft. This new-age system offers high-speeds of up to 70 mbps and can be adopted by flights flying over North America.
Most US-based airlines use the ATG (air-to-ground) technology by Gogo, a leading global aero-communications service provider. The bandwidth is split between the passengers which results in a relatively slow connection. Airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest have invested in satellite based substitutes which are more expensive but provide a more efficient network. Gogo is also in the process of developing its own GTO (ground-to-orbit) technology which will be adopted by several airlines in the next few years. The provider already operates a Ku band satellite-based system on a few international Delta flights.
While a host of international airlines provide inflight wifi across the globe, the government of India (department of telecommunication) is in the process of analysing the proposal for permitting Indian airlines to provide this facility to its passengers. As of now, airlines such as Emirates and Lufthansa offer internet on their Indian routes, but not within the Indian airspace. While Indian airlines are keen to provide this facility to their passengers, the recently launched Air Vistara offers preloaded content on-board and is enthusiastic about providing wifi to its passengers. “From May 2015, our in-flight entertainment powered by BAE Systems’ IntelliCabin solution was made available to Vistara’s Business Class flyers on customised Samsung Galaxy tablets with specially selected pre-loaded content. The BAE Systems’ IFE system offers the latest technological innovations which include the potential for live TV and full wifi onboard.
While deploying wifi onboard would elevate the flying experience of our customers, it will require prior government approvals and infrastructure development with partners at multiple levels,” said Giam Ming Toh, Chief Commercial Officer, Vistara.
Currently eight airlines offer free inflight wifi: Emirates, Air China, HongKong Airlines, Nok Air, Turkish Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Norwegian Air and JetBlue.