Boeing makes flying fun with live TV, Internet
Special Correspondent
Oct. 9, 2005

Gone are the days of watching recorded comedies and movies aboard an aeroplane.

Connexion One - Boeing company's in-flight entertainment test aircraft - on Friday made available live TV and the Internet for its passengers while flying at 24,000 feet over the Irish Sea, reports the online edition of New Scientist.

Wi-Fi transmitters peppered the ceiling and live TV and Internet signals were delivered through a one-metre-wide satellite dish on the top of the plane, it said.

Boeing director Mike Woodward said the effort was fuelled by passengers'' desire for live news, as opposed to recorded comedies and movies during flights.

Delivering live TV to planes is not easy. Once over the oceans and out of the reach of the land-focused satellite TV ranges - such as BSkyB's Astra satellite covering Britain - aircraft cannot receive live TV signals.

So Boeing leased capacity on satellites with maritime coverage. Then on Friday the company began broadcasting four live news channels - BBC World, CNBC (MSNBC over the US), Euronews and Eurosport News - which can be received by planes anywhere in the northern hemisphere.

While Internet access on aircraft is already becoming commonplace since 11 airlines - including Lufthansa, SAS and Singapore Airlines - are already using Boeing's high-speed satellite Internet connection technology, the next step is to link that technology to cellphones.

But before Boeing could ever launch such a service it needs approval from aviation regulators, such as the US Federal Aviation Administration and Britain's Civil Aviation Authority, to prove it is safe for the aircraft.

It also needs to confer with communications regulators like the US Federal Communications Commission, who want to make sure it does not overload ground-based base stations.

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