Inflight Connectivity & the Joy of Flying The market for In-flight Internet is expected to grow rapidly, reaching USD 2.1 billion by 2029, from USD 1.6 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 5.7%, according to Marketsandmarkets.com.
With the purpose of flying having shifted focus, where travelers now conduct business onboard private/commercial aircraft, connectivity providers have seen their markets boom because of this pressing need for Inflight Connectivity. In the age of ‘everything instant’ digital connectivity 35,000 feet above the ground becomes an enabler for data and ideas exchange. Evolving technologies and market pull, have shaped in-flight connectivity, in the aerospace sector. An airline’s inflight connectivity solutions must therefore provide good download speeds, make available the familiar apps and tools used on ground in offices and homes. Connectivity must be robust and reliable right through an aircraft’s flight path. Basically, an enhanced bandwidth, where one can send more information at a given transfer speed.
The future then of in-flight connectivity will see more fulfillment of business productivity in the air, as it happens on the ground. Tall order, but possible. Quite apart from this, giving families hours of curated content to while away those hours, especially on long-haul flights, has become a brand differentiator, where carriers vie with each other for a larger passenger/market share. The requirement then is for cost-effective Internet should be customized to suit the demographics and choices of the passengers it serves.
Lack of inflight connectivity amounts to unproductive flying hours for today’s professionals. Thus, the inclusion of inflight connectivity, and passenger conveniences and delight it brings in, would build the airline’s reputation while facilitating secondary revenue generation.
The Engineering Behind the Scene
Behind the passenger delight and safety feature ‘inflight connectivity,’ there lies complex set of engineering and planning marvels. The devices that are being connected are moving close to the speed of sound at an altitude of 35,000 feet – this then is a paradigm shift in inflight connectivity.
Aircraft travel over vast regions at lightning speed, and this means data link to adjust quickly in real time. A signal must connect with an aircraft multiple times and adjust to shifting, orientation, speed, and direction. For pilots and passengers, in-flight connectivity needs to be constant.
Air–to–Ground (ATG) and Satellite Technologies
Important resources are air-to-ground (ATG) and satellite technologies. An aircraft communicates with a ground station. With ATG, the ground station antennas help communicate with the aircraft that pass through their airspace. The satellite receives and routes the radio transmission back to ground stations. Although communication satellites often have geosynchronous orbits, aircraft can transfer between several satellites along the chosen flight path. Such a connection (with a maximum speed of merely 3 Mbps) can be made only when the airplane is above the ground and not over the sea.
With either technology, key factors are the available network capacity, the number of available towers and/or satellites covering flight routes, and connectivity redundancy which ensures continuous connectivity.
The network coverage available for either ATG or satellite systems application heavily influences the quality/reliability of these connections.
The maximum internet speed for Ku-Band (12 to 18 GHz microwave) is 50 Mbps, while for Ka-Band (26.5 to 40 GHz microwave) is 70Mbps. The actual connection speed experienced onboard is lower due to Internet sharing between multiple aeroplanes flying at terrific speeds.
The Hardware of It
Edge Cabin Network Platform employs the power of a distributed computing system architecture to eliminate weighty Servers.
The unit acts as a server and a router to provide a cost-effective AID solution.
The hardware involved in inflight connectivity is the modem/router – like boxes, and most connectivity solutions include aerodynamic antennas or radomes that attach to the fuselage.
The Passenger Interface
Passengers may find it most convenient to access content inflight and at affordable rates, by downloading select programmes while on ground. Once onboard, the content/movies etc can be accessed on a hand-held device, without any internet connectivity. This is both practical and economical. To caution, even when streaming video midair is technically feasible, the cost can climb up due say, heavy video files.
Passengers look forward to the following:
- Easy Wi-Fi access
- High navigation speed
- High resolution streaming
- Protected & secured wireless network
- Wide range of entertainment content
- Easy access to on-board services
Availability of content on the device of passengers can either be manual or automatic. Manual onboarding requires registering on the flight portal’s URL, to get on the network. Through the portal passengers can engage in duty-free shopping and purchase internet data as well, if required.
In automated onboarding, passenger devices are configured with a subscription provided by the airline. A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) automatically allocates IP addresses for accessing portal services. The automated system allows, users switch between multiple networks throughout the flight, seamlessly.
Onboard Wi-Fi enabled the Internet on flying aeroplanes and the market is still expected to rise. Passengers now have access to in-flight content like movies, shorts, documentaries, flight routes/maps, flight information, or just browsing the Internet.
Crew & Passengers look forward to the following:
- Ergonomic & easy-to use web interface
- Easy & optimized meal management
- Offer additional services / information
- online shop, online brochures
For airlines, these options result in possible ancillary revenue earnings, get to gather data to evaluate customer satisfaction through feedback surveys and similar. Airlines can capture passenger preferences and tailor content accordingly. A short, digital feedback form if filled in by most passengers, can bring in a host of data. This could give airlines to align their services to passenger needs.
A secondary source of revenue is possible by making inflight content free, but charge passengers for internet, based on data consumed.
Watchpoints
Distance and latency are two challenges facing non-stop and consistent inflight connectivity. The aircraft covers vast distances and this can weaken connections over certain spots. The way to circumvent this would mean switching from one ground station to another, several times or switching between satellites.
Latency happens a lot of times on account of this switching. These drops then become service issues, which air travelers are conscious of. Advanced systems of are smart and efficient and can erase much of these inconsistencies today inflight systems are extraordinarily efficient and make all of this nearly invisible to end users.
One must be mindful that newer airplanes are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, which may not be available in mature aircraft. Passengers may see this as an inconsistency in service levels.
The price of internet usage comes at a much higher price than what is available on ground. Passengers must be aware of the rates in advance, instead of being alarmed and disappointed.
Internet laws differ from one country to another. Also, many websites available in one country might not give access when the plane connects to another country’s internet. Businesses personalize their website’s content based on geolocation
Enablers of Inflight Connectivity
VPNs facilitate access to any website from anywhere. They are encrypted and secure internet connection; A Captive portal or a CAPPORT displays network-related information and prompts users to enter credentials before accessing the Internet. Important information for an equitable distribution of bandwidth, accurate usage tracking, and invoice generation is possible.
OpenRoaming by Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) helps passengers maintain a stable internet connection by switching to multiple networks throughout the journey.
Next Generation Hotspot Solution by HSC is a cloud-hosted hotspot 2.0-based network solution that brings cellular-like connectivity to Wi-Fi access points; Connected Cabin by Collins Aerospace minimizes face-to-face interaction between passengers and crew, improving operational efficiency. Passengers can select food, beverages, entertainment, and the internet using their preferred devices, avoiding manual efforts.
Major In-flight Internet companies include:
- Inmarsat (UK)
- Viasat, Inc. (US)
- Gogo Business Aviation LLC (US)
- Panasonic Avionics Corporation (US)
- Thales (France)
- Collins Aerospace (US)
- Global Eagle (US)
