In-flight connectivity - Curt Lewis

Wifi in the sky finally set to get speed upgrade: New system will combine satellite and ground systems to give broadband-type speeds

• Alcatel, Inmarsat and Deutsche Telecom developing system
• Will be tested on European short haul flights in 2017
• Claimed it will give the same speed in flight as on the ground

Passengers on European short haul flights are set to trial a radical new technology that could finally bring high speed internet to the skies.
The new system will combine a satellite with with high speed LTE base stations on the ground.
The firms behind it say it will offer a 'seamless' transition for customers, giving them the same high speed connections on the ground and in the sky.

The new system from Alcatel, Inmarsat and Deutsche Telecom will combine a satellite with with high speed LTE base stations on the ground.

WIFI ON US FLIGHTS
U.S. airline passengers already have a chance of accessing Wi-Fi on 66 percent of miles flown, against a worldwide average of 24 percent, according to data from Routehappy, which rates flights worldwide on amenities such as seats and entertainment.

In Europe, adoption of a ground-to-air service such as that in the United States, is harder due to the number of countries in the region, while satellite-based services have been too costly for short flights.

'For years, flying has been a communications black-out leaving both business and personal travellers alike feeling out of touch when in the air,' said Wilhelm Dresselhaus, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent Germany.
'We are proud to be an integral technology provider for Deutsche Telekom's LTE-based ground network effort by adapting our LTE RAN solution to the Inmarsat S-band spectrum. 

'Together, we are able to provide travellers in Europe with high-speed data connectivity in the air.'
Lufthansa, which has so far offered wireless internet only on long-haul flights, will trial the service in 2017 as it seeks new ways to generate revenue from its passengers.

Pricing will depend on cabin class and ticket pricing, Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told journalists in Frankfurt. Lufthansa is to offer the new service on 180 of its planes.

'The provision of reliable, consistent broadband connectivity aboard our planes, which will match that of high-speed home broadband in terms of speed and quality, is of extreme importance to us,' Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said in a statement.

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Spohr said customers placed a high value on staying connected, with 85 percent willing to give up other amenities on board to get Internet coverage.

However, it will not allow voice calls.
'The explicit wish of our customers is not to allow phone calls on board, and I promise you we will guarantee this very last privilege of privacy,' he told reporters.

Deutsche Telekom said it would build a network of 300 high-capacity 4G base stations across Europe using dedicated spectrum that would connect to aircraft, with coverage switching to an Inmarsat satellite when the flight was over the sea. 

Lufthansa is expected to trial the new system on short haul flights in 2017

The European Aviation Network (EAN) will consist of an LTE ground network component, provided by Alcatel-Lucent - using its specially adapted radios and IP Mobile Core - combined with a satellite network component.

'Passengers will be able to use their Wi-Fi enabled personal mobile devices to enjoy mobile data access using the seamless transition between the LTE ground network and the satellite network,' the firms say.

IN FLIGHT WIFI AROUND THE WORLD

- 52 airlines worldwide now offer in-flight Wi-Fi in most regions of the globe

- Flyers have at least 'some' chance of Wi-Fi on 24 per cent of flights worldwide.

- U.S. airlines offer at least 'some' chance of Wi-Fi on 66 per cent of their flights nation wide

- Non-U.S. airlines offering at least 'some' chance on 15 per cent of their international flights

- Nine non-U.S. airlines now offer at least a 'very good' chance of Wi-Fi

- These include Japan, Emirates, Aeroflot, Iberia, Lufthansa, Singapore, Etihad, Norwegian, and 

   Icelandair, with the latter two surpassing 80 per cent

- Delta offers the most flights and flight miles with Wi-Fi of all airlines, by far

- United has most international planes with Wi-Fi and uniquely offers 'best' Wi-Fi

- Virgin America, Alaska, United lead on offering both Wi-Fi and power on the same flights 

Overall, it found that Virgin America had the the highest percentage of total flights and flight miles with Wi-Fi. Southwest came in at second, JetBlue third and Delta fourth

The companies said the Deutsche Telekom network of 300 LTE, or long term evolution, sites will have an effective signal-transmission range of 80 kilometers, compared to 10 kilometers or less for conventional LTE sites.

As is the case with Chicago-based Gogo Inc.'s air-to-ground service in the United States, the Inmarsat/Deutsche Telekom network will operate with aircraft once they reach an altitude of about 3 kilometers. 

Aircraft connections will move between Inmarsat's S-band satellite and the Deutsche Telekom-operated ground network so as to provide continuous connectivity to passengers.