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December 31, 2001 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The Boeing Company (boeing.com) has been granted a license
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by the Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov) that will enable
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passengers on airplanes to transmit and receive broadband data in flight,
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using its Connexion by Boeing service.
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The two-way license is the first of its kind in the broadband satellite
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services industry, enabling operators of commercial airliners and executive
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jets, such as private and government aircraft, to offer realtime, high-speed
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Internet and intranet access, television and e-mail above U.S. territory and
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waters.
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“This license signals a new era for in-flight connectivity and further
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strengthens our efforts in the mobile economy,” said Scott Carson, president
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of Connexion by Boeing. “For the first time in history, air travelers will
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be able to experience in-flight connectivity comparable to the speeds and
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quality of service they expect on the ground.”
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The Connexion by Boeing application was subject to stringent review by U.S.
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government agencies that oversee spectrum usage. Under an unprecedented
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flight-test program, Connexion One, a specially equipped Boeing 737,
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gathered data to demonstrate that the service can operate without causing
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harmful interference to other spectrum users, in support of ongoing domestic
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and international regulatory activities.
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“The license is the result of an extensive year-long application review and
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approval process conducted by the FCC and other U.S. government agencies,”
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said Karen Gielen, Connexion executive director of international regulatory
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affairs. “This is a tremendous boost for our continued efforts to rollout
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this service in the United States and, ultimately, around the world.”
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Passengers flying in aircraft soon will be able to choose from a multitude
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of personalized services, including Internet and firewall-protected intranet
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access, e-commerce, television and entertainment, transmission of data,
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shopping and travel and destination information, Boeing says. Airline
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operators also will benefit from in-flight access to aircraft and crew data.
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Boeing is studying the potential applicability of Connexion’s broadband
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in-flight data services for aviation security enhancements.
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A prototype of the Connexion by Boeing service is currently available to the
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executive services market in the U.S., which includes operators of private
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and government aircraft. Connexion also remains on track with European
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carrier Lufthansa to equip its long-haul fleet beginning with a prototype
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installation in late 2002 or early 2003. For additional information, see the
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Connexion Web site at boeing.com/connexion/.
