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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/.
About theWHIR.com
Since 2000, The Web Host Industry Review has made a name for itself as the foremost authority of the Web hosting industry providing reliable, insightful and comprehensive news, interviews and resources to the hosting community. TheWHIR is an iNET Interactive property. For more information on iNET Interactive, visit http://www.inetinteractive.com
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