Fri, Jan 25, 2008
Will Offer Satellite-Based Service By Summer
Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines followed in the footsteps of
cross-town rival American Airlines, and announced this week it,
too, plans to test in-flight passenger Wi-Fi service this
summer.
Unlike the Aircell-sourced system American plans
to offer, however, Southwest's system will rely on
satellite-signals, according to a report in The New York Times. The
technology, provided by Row 44 Inc. in Westlake Village, CA, will
fly onboard four 737s later this year.
Like American, Southwest plans to perform consumer tests
following approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. An
antenna mounted atop each aircraft's fuselage will send and receive
signals to and from an orbiting satellite.
Satellite-based Wi-Fi offers additional capabilities over
ground-based service-- though not all of those options will be used
by Southwest. Both carriers will offer Internet access for email
and web browsing... but the Row 44 system also allows cell phone
and voice-over-IP calls. Due to concerns about passenger privacy,
however, Southwest has no plans to offer those capabilities.
"Southwest has not embraced voice calling," said spokeswoman
Brandy King. "Voice is not a direction we're taking."
The Dallas-based LCC joins a growing list of airlines planning
to offer some form of in-flight Internet access. In addition to
American, Virgin America also plans to install the Aircell system
in some of its planes this year. JetBlue, Lufthansa and Qantas are
also considering their options.
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