Wi-Fi at 20,000 Feet: According to Wi-Fi Networking News, AirCell — the company that won a fair piece of the air-to-ground spectrum via its sister company AC BidCo — intends to roll out commercial service for in-flight wireless Internet access in the US by the end of 2007. The rest of the Americas are expected to get on board a little while after. AirCell CEO and president Jack Blumenstein talks about working out social factors (like, say, a plane full of people simultaneously on Skype) beforehand, and to be honest I expect that it just might work. But I still look at this from three ways:
The Good: I can check my e-mail without distractions while at 20,000 feet.
The Bad: People will know they can e-mail me while I’m at 20,000 feet.
The Ugly: The lineups at security when everyone brings along a laptop, PSP, DS, or some other wireless gadget.
[Via Emru Townsend, Digital World]
Derik’s Thoughts: Has anyone blogged from an airplane before? Can I volunteer to be the first, with expenses paid? It’s an important milestone.
I hate to say it, but you wouldn't be the first. Boeing has operated Connexion, a satellite broadband service, for a couple of years. I've done some iChat AV sessions with video with people in planes.
The last blog and photos from the Mac Mania cruise to the Baltic last summer were posted from my SAS flight via Conexion... it was a really fast link, too! I also iChatted with Rob Griffiths during the flight, mostly just because he was the only buddy I could find who was awake.
You guys are going to make me cry. ;)