Internet on the aircraft with your air cards
Some of the major U.S. airlines are equipping their airplanes with the access point capable of supporting the Gogo system, developed by Aircell, to allow passengers Internet inflight access with their laptop and air cards . The service has not only attracted the attention of big companies specialized in the business traffic as Delta, United, Virgin America,American Airlines but even AirTran, low-cost carrier overseas, has installed Gogo internet system on its Boeing 737 and 717.
Delta has already deployed the service on around half of its domestic fleet (150 aircraft).
When aircraft reach the minimum quota of 10 thousand feet, passenger may activate their laptop and air cards and check the signal called gogoinflight. Inside the portal Gogo Mobile you will simply enter your login credentials to start surfing on Internet. At present, rates of use vary between 7.95 and $ 12.95, it depends on the duration of the flight and the type of device. The download speed can vary between 266Kbps and 1.4 Mbps, while upload range is more limited: around 250-300kbps.
Internet on aircraft cost to airlines, without difference between type of airplane, around 100 thousand dollars. Arianne Venus, spokeswoman for Aircell, said that the orders orders exceed their expectations. The changes needed on the aircraft include the installation of three antennas fixed on the outside of the fuselage through which aircraft can make contact with the national air-to-ground net (ATG) operated by Aircell, which will soon consist of 500 towers able to emit a signal up to 350 miles away.
The same Aircell CEO Jack Blumenstein, was expressed on the success of Gogo but that the devices ideal for use will not be the laptops with air cards, whose autonomy is limited when you consider the length of flights coast to coast, but with the smartphone chip integrated WiFi, more manageable. “When two summers ago we began to set up our network – explains Blumestein – no smartphone with wireless technology was available. Now 90% of mobile devices out in the next five years will include a WiFi chip “.
Remains to be resolved the problem of security. A test conducted last summer by SNOsoft Research Team has shown a vulnerability in the transmission of data between the device and the aircraft access point: the connection is found not encrypted so it is possible that the vortex of data that runs on the director can be intercepted from other passengers motivated by dubious intent.
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