In-flight WiFi market heats up

In-flight WiFi is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family or catch up on work, but services are often so slow, you're better off sticking to the in-flight magazine. New satellite-based WiFi services promise to change that, prompting a grab for capacity and customers by companies such as Inmarsat, Viasat, Gogo, Panasonic and Global Eagle Entertainment. WiFi on US domestic routes is already widespread although air-to-ground (ATG) technology can mean service is slow. In Europe, a patchwork of regulatory regimes has hindered the creation of any substantial ATG networks, while satellite-based systems have until now been too expensive for short-haul routes. Satellite-based systems can provide coverage across the entire planet, including over oceans, where ATG falls short. Additional beams are typically overlaid to follow traffic flows, to provide extra broadband capacity for more congested flight areas. Inmarsat, a provider of satellite communications to the maritime industry, has spent five years building its Global Express network for aviation. Final ground and flight testing is underway, with three satellites already in service. "Existing solutions have not met market expectations… Despite all of the happy talk, the state of play is an inconsistent patchwork," said Leo Mondale, president of Inmarsat Aviation. Viasat is launching two new high-powered satellites that it says will significantly improve broadband speeds from next year.<br/>