Asian travellers who cannot stand being separated from email or the Internet will soon be
able to access both from their seats when top regional airlines offer high-speed wireless
connectivity on long-haul flights.
Over the next six months, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines plan to
roll out airborne Internet services by teaming up with Connexion by Boeing, an information
services unit of US aircraft builder Boeing Co. China Airlines and Korean Air are expected to follow suit.
First implemented by Germany's Lufthansa last month, Connexion by Boeing allows passengers
to access the Internet on wireless-ready laptops at speeds comparable to those at home or in the
office. Airlines will also have the option to offer wired connections using ethernet cables. And yes, it
is fully compatible with planes made by Airbus, Boeing's fierce European rival.
The service, made possible by a global network of satellites, ground stations and special
antennas fitted to the aircraft, was in fact inaugurated on a Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 flying
from Munich to Los Angeles on May 17.
US-based Pyramid Research, which tracks the information and communication industry, said
there were other benefits to airlines - for instance, security cameras could be monitored constantly
throughout the aircraft. Cabin crew can also consult doctors in case of a medical problem, preventing an
unnecessary and extremely costly emergency landing if a case of indigestion is mistaken for a heart attack.
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