German airline Lufthansa is to launch a wireless broadband Internet
service next month that will target executives and other heavy data
users both on the ground and in the air.
From 15 January, Lufthansa will offer broadband Internet service on
a Boeing 747-400 that flies daily between Frankfurt and Washington
DC. Lufthansa will also begin providing wireless LAN (WLAN) service
in more than 50 lounges.
"Our aim is to offer broadband connectivity to passengers on all
our long-haul flights outside Europe and in our many lounges around
the world," Lufthansa spokesman Bernd Hoffman said. "We expect
substantial demand for the service."
Connexion by Boeing, a unit of The Boeing Company in Seattle, will
provide the satellite-based data communications service in the air.
Vodafone will provide the WLAN service on the ground.
The in-flight broadband service will offer speeds of up to 20Mbps
(bits per second) to the aircraft and 1Mbps from the aircraft,
although the speeds can vary depending on the weather and other
factors, said Connexion spokesman Terrance Scott.
"At the very minimum, customers should have ISDN (Integrated
Service Digital Network) speeds of 64Kbps, but most of the time
speeds will be much higher," said Hoffmann, adding that the WLAN
service will be available at speeds up to 11Mbps.
The onboard Internet service will be free during the three-month
trial. Initially, the WLAN service will also be free. None of the
companies provided pricing details.
"We need to see how both technologies work and get a feel for what
customers are willing to pay," Hoffmann said. "Whether we charge
for each service separately or together and how we will brand and
market the service are issues we still have to resolve."
First-class and business-class travellers will be able to plug
their notebooks directly into the aircraft's onboard LAN with
cables and sockets integrated into their seats or, alternatively,
use a wireless connection. Economy-class passengers will only be
able to connect to the system with WLAN-equipped notebooks.
Lufthansa has forged ahead with its plans to offer Internet
connectivity onboard its aircraft despite last year's decision by
Connexion's three primary airline partners - American Airlines,
Delta Air Lines. and United Airlines - to withdraw their financial
support after they incurred severe financial losses following the
11 September terrorist attacks
Meanwhile, Connexion has enlisted several other airline customers,
including British Airways, Japan Airlines and Scandinavian
Airlines.
BA will roll out Internet service aboard its aircraft in February.