Broadband at 10,000 feet

There's broadband in hotel rooms. There's broadband at convention centers. There's broadband all the way up to the airline gate. But until now, business travelers have been unable to get broadband in the airplane itself. They've been forced to endure that five-hour flight from New York to L.A. unconnected to the outside world.

Some of you might consider that a good thing. Thanks to cell phones, wireless PDAs, BlackBerries and Wi-Fi cards, there are very few places in this world where some overzealous co-worker or micromanaging superior can't get ahold of you. So a few hours of isolation (albeit isolation shared with a few hundred others in a tightly-packed cabin) might seem welcome. But I'm willing to bet there are many of you who wouldn't mind getting a little work done during your uncomfortable journey.

Connexion appears to have your answer, and it's about time, too. The subsidiary of Boeing has been working on its in-flight Wi-Fi/satellite solution for three years, and was originally scheduled to launch service right after Sept.11, 2001. Now, with a new deal with enterprise-focused connectivity services provider iPass, the service is expected to launch soon on international flights across both the Pacific and Atlantic. (See story in Top News.)

It's hard to believe it took this long for Wi-Fi or some other type of viable broadband access to make it onto the plane. After all, there are few more perfect examples of captive audiences with plenty of time on their hands and nothing to do--there are only so many experimental elixirs one can make with Courvoisier and Mrs. T's Bloody Mary mix before you're forced to stomach the in-flight movie or attempt to sleep. Of course, the airlines haven't been the biggest proponents of random RF zinging around the cabin, and the frightful image of a 747 careening out of control because someone flipped open their cell phone seems to keep the traveling public from pushing too hard for in-flight wireless. (Though for some reason, the cell towers blanketing airports in cellular and PCS waves never seem to affect takeoff.)

Apparently, we've conquered our fears and are prepared to boldly take broadband into the skies. Now if only they'd put it on Amtrak.

Contact me at kfitchard@primediabusiness.com.