from yahoo
American Airlines to test Wi-Fi onboard
Thu Aug 2, 12:04 PM ET
FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines says it will be the first U.S. carrier to test high-speed Internet service in flight.
The airline said Wednesday that it will test the service next year on some Boeing 767-200 jets that mostly fly transcontinental routes.
American will charge a fee for the hookup but won't announce the charge until broadband-equipped flights are ready to go, according to AirCell LLC, the company providing the hookup.
American, a unit of AMR Corp., said it signed a memorandum of intent with AirCell to provide the service.
AirCell will build cellular towers throughout the continental United States to transmit the signals. Planes will has three antennas, two on the bottom and one on top.
The service will work with WiFi-equipped notebook computers and PDAs, the airline said.
The Fort Worth-based airline's executive vice president of marketing, Daniel P. Garton, said if the service is a success, it could be expanded throughout American's fleet.
The airline expects demand for the service to come from business travelers.
The use of Internet and wireless signals is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission.
AirCell Chief Executive Jack Blumenstein said travelers already bring WiFi-enabled devices on planes. He said they list high-speed Internet service in flight among their top wishes.
AirCell sells Internet service for business jets and helicopters. It said it won an exclusive broadband frequency license in 2006 from the FCC. The company has facilities in Kentucky, Colorado and Illinois.
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On the Net: AirCell LLC: http://www.aircell.com
American Airlines: http://www.aa.com
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