Flying the Unwired Skies

Thanks to satellite technology for making those long flights around the world just a little more interesting. Tom’s Hardware takes a look at just how good and usable this sort of technology is for the consumer of today.

It’s the third or fourth hour of the flight that the lassitude sets in. You’ve been fed (meagerly), read part of a book, flipped through the in-flight magazine, and watched part of a movie that you didn’t want to see on the ground. Now what do you do for the next two, three—or 10 hours?

Connexion by Boeing wants to turn your on-plane boredom and downtime into productive time by pumping in a high-speed broadband Internet connection via satellite. The Connexion service has been in the works for years, and almost faltered after September 11 caused a downturn in domestic U.S. airline sustainability and worldwide business activity.

However, the division retooled its efforts, refocused on long-haul flights, and has brought an Internet service to market that, so far, appears to deliver on its promise based on a test flight that I took in the Seattle, Washington area, and on the experiences of several travelers, including one of Toms’ own editors. [Read the rest]