Interview: The Future of Truly High-Speed In-Flight Wi-Fi
Photo Credit: From embedded seat back in-flight entertainment screens to our own devices, airlines and airports will want to keep us entertained with creative brand collaborations. GEE
Skift Take
We're still skeptical that large file downloads, Netflix-watching and seeing Grandma's face at 35,000 feet is a near-term reality, but speeds will undoubtedly get gradually faster as more satellites are launched for passengers' delight.
In-flight Wi-Fi has been, to put it frankly, stuck at the boarding gate during the past five years and even when it was cleared to board, it often felt like it never made it to the aircraft cabin.
Telling investors and analysts during the company's third quarter earnings call on Friday, Global Eagle Entertainment CEO Dave Davis said "more than 200 megabits per second is easily [achievable for our in-flight Wi-Fi]," referring to the company's agreement with Hughes to utilize the Jupiter HT Aero Modem on its Airconnect antenna system.
"Ku-band systems offer worldwide coverage, satellite redundancy and have the ability to cover 99% plus of all flight routes in the world," said Davis. "It’s difficult to say that the addition of the modem will take the speed from X to Y, because there are many other variables."
"We expect the new modems to be available in the months ahead, this isn’t something that’s a year away. And it’s completely plug and play retrofittable with our curr
