Glitchy Wi-fi in the sky could soon be a thing of the past, says tech alliance
- The Seamless Air Alliance, a group of makers of planes, satellites and phones, aims to revolutionise in-flight Wi-fi
- Say goodbye to spotty reception and filling out your credit card details in front of everyone
Air travel and glitch-free internet access are often considered mutually exclusive, thanks to the technical difficulties associated with making Wi-fi work in the sky.
For the airlines, a satisfying online experience is even more elusive. The hardware, software, maintenance and inability to easily switch service providers combine for a very expensive headache.
But there may be some good news on the horizon – a new era of ground quality internet connectivity that could save carriers billions of dollars. The Seamless Air Alliance, a non-profit group of 30 companies, says its new tech architecture will make in-flight connectivity systems modular, with open interfaces and components that can easily be swapped out.
Jack Mandala, the alliance’s chief executive officer, says that airlines now “have equipment that only works with the provider they’ve chosen”. Universal adoption of the framework, he predicts, could change that.