According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, airlines are racing to include Internet access on their flights. By 2013, the expectation is that more than 50% of passenger planes will be equipped with wi-fi. The following is a summary of the current situation and some projections.
1. About a third of all US passenger planes are now offering Internet access
2. Currently, 3 out of the top 4 airlines (American, Delta, and Southwest) offer the service on many of their flights. While United has lagged behind, their expectation is that they will be completing a deal shortly and expect to have all their planes connected within the next couple of years.
3. The services include e-mail and Internet access which, according to a number of surveys, appears to be the greatest interest of most fliers at the present time.
4. As for the future, airlines are expected to offer streaming services such as live news and sports along with movies and TV shows. These services will probably be fee based. This week, Delta starting offering movies ($4.00 each) and TV shows ($1.00) on a limited number of their passenger planes.
As indicated in past blogs, we have become a mobile society, with Internet access available in hotels, coffee shops, airline terminals and now in the air. Isn’t it time for you to make sure you have the right technology to support your needs on both a personal and business level?
If you have any questions about this or other technology issues, do not hesitate to contact me at 917 921-4518 or by e-mail at jblue@bluetutor.com. If you are in career transition, feel free to click here to receive my free white paper on Technology Tips on setting up a home office and becoming a true road warrior.
