IPass deal opens skies for in-flight broadband access
Connexion alliance will enable passengers to connect wirelessly to the internet at 1Mbps
Just when you're thinking of catching some sleep or a film during a long-haul flight on a business trip, you will now be able to find more work to do, even at a cruising altitude of 4,800 metres.
At least, that could prove true for more than half a million subscribers to enterprise internet access provider iPass, which closed a deal last week with Connexion by Boeing to offer a secure, in-flight global broadband roaming service.
Steve Terry, managing director at iPass Asia-Pacific, said the partnership would enable corporate information technology managers to extend the productivity of their mobile workers from hotels and airports to aircraft in flight, using 802.11b network connection - commonly known as Wi-fi.
'We see this alliance as a large component of efforts to expand our roaming capabilities in the mainland, where international business travel is growing rapidly,' Mr Terry said.
Silicon Valley-based iPass claims to operate the world's largest Wi-fi roaming infrastructure, with more than 11,000 active hot spots in 33 countries. The company counts about 528,000 distinct monthly users worldwide.
Boeing's Connexion unit started its satellite-based, wireless high-speed internet access service in May with launch partner Lufthansa. The typical internet connection on board an aircraft is about one megabit per second.
Other commercial passenger airlines with definitive agreements to equip their long-haul aircraft with the Connexion service include Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Scandinavian Airline System and Kingdom Holding.
Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have all recently announced their intent to install the Connexion system on their long-range aircraft.
Tenzing, a Seattle-based firm backed by Airbus, was the first to offer in-flight e-mail and messaging services years ago but at slower speeds and with cables linked to laptops.
Customers include Cathay Pacific Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic.
Tenzing Asia regional director Mark Watts said the company would upgrade its e-mail service on Cathay Pacific flights this year to include instant messaging and faster internet access at 64kbps.
Byte Level Research analyst John Yunker said: 'Wi-fi for business travellers will rival extra leg room as a 'must-have' airline amenity.' But iPass subscribers who receive broadband coverage in 121 airports in 21 countries still have some time to sneak some rest and recreation during their long-haul trips.
Mr Terry said the Connexion by Boeing network would first undergo the iPass Enterprise-Ready certification programme.
This is a 90 to 120-day process that involves a rigorous testing regimen to ensure service availability.
Before iPass gives it the all-clear, the Connexion system must pass interoperability tests with policy and security tools, such as virtual private networks, personal firewalls and virus protection.
Anurag Lal, vice-president of business development at iPass, said: 'As a frequent long-haul flier myself, no one will be more thrilled to see the Connexion by Boeing service integrated with the iPass global broadband roaming network.
'Some of the flights I've taken last well over 12 hours, so increased productivity in the air is greatly needed.
'Users of this service will no longer have to wait the length of their flight - a full business day - for the vital business information that can help win that important deal or address a critical business issue,' Mr Lal said.
Revenue-sharing arrangements between iPass and Connexion will be based on the flexible pricing strategy put in place by the Boeing subsidiary.
