With all the moves recently (and there have been a lot, even before JetBlue‘s mini-suite unveiling yesterday) in the transcon premium cabin market I started thinking about just where the different airlines were in terms of competing with each other on various aspects of the service. The data I have here is compiled from a […]
JetBlue
JetBlue inches closer to in-flight Fly-Fi wifi service
JetBlue’s planned Fly-Fi in-flight internet service took another small step forward this week. The FCC issued a blanket approval to ViaSat, the provider of the satellite connectivity, permitting the operation of the uplink and control station which will manage the connectivity. The approval was expected, despite protest from competitor Row44, and is a necessary step […]
JetBlue’s new in-flight Wifi: Fast and Free*
It seems that things are still on schedule for the deployment of the satellite-based in-flight internet connectivity on JetBlue starting in early 2013. The company has ratcheted up their publicity about the product this week, focusing on two key factors they see as making a difference to customers: the service will be FAST and the […]
A step closer to more bandwidth in the skies
LiveTV, the in-flight connectivity subsidiary of JetBlue, took a major step forward in their efforts to provide satellite-based Internet connectivity today with the launch of ViaSat-1 from the International Launch Services facility in Kazakhstan. The launch gets the satellite into orbit over the United States and provides the necessary signal coverage and bandwidth capacity to […]
Another potential setback for LiveTV’s in-flight internet service
It seems that in-flight entertainment and connectivity provider LiveTV just cannot catch a break in getting their in-flight internet product to a deliverable state. First there was the Kiteline product, built on the back of the old Airfone bandwidth spectrum and only ever live on a single plane. That project fell apart when they were […]
American to launch streaming media service in-flight
American Airlines announced this week that they are extending their partnership with in-flight internet provider Aircell, the company behind the gogo service. There are two main components to the announcement, one covering internet connectivity and the other addressing streaming media. On the internet front the company has committed to expanding their gogo deployment to cover more […]
Continental announces in-flight WiFi plans. Again.
When Continental Airlines announced their deal with LiveTV to provide in-flight television service a couple years ago there was an additional piece to the deal. LiveTV was also supposed to provide in-flight internet service via their Kiteline product. It was going to be lighter (i.e. cheaper) for the airlines and cheaper for passengers, offering basic […]
JetBlue to offer awesome in-flight broadband – eventually
JetBlue has made a big splash today with their announcement of an impending in-flight internet offering. The service, leveraging the Ka spectrum of satellite connectivity form provider ViaSat, will offer significant bandwidth and a broader coverage footprint than that of ATG provider Aircell, the company behind the gogo product. Company CEO Dave Barger sums it […]
End of the line for Kiteline
The in-flight internet connectivity market has lost a competitor with the news that the Kiteline product is officially shelved. Kiteline was initially launched as a lower bandwidth cellular solution to in-flight connectivity, essentially the same concept as the Aircell gogo product, but with limited features – only certain websites would work – and a lower […]
Kiteline struggling to get off the ground
Although jetBlue was very early in getting in-flight internet connectivity off the ground with their Kiteline product, they have fallen well behind competitors Aircell and Row44 in the deployment race. Kiteline came into the market with quite a splash back in 2007. Unfortunately the progress since then has not lived up to the hype. Indeed, […]