Page 14 - 15th july 2024

FEATURE

provide a cost-effective AID solution.
The hardware involved in inflight
connectivity is the modem/router – like
boxes, and most connectivity solu-
tions include aerodynamic antennas or
radomes that attach to the fuselage.

The Passenger Interface
Passengers may find it most conve-
nient 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 Image Courtesy : Avionics International
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 follow- Ó Easy & optimized meal management One must be mindful that newer
ing: Ó Offer additional services / aeroplanes are equipped with state-of-
Ó Easy Wi-Fi access information the-art technology, which may not be
Ó High navigation speed Ó Online shop, online brochures available in mature aircraft. Passengers
Ó High resolution streaming For airlines, these options result in may see this as inconsistency in service
Ó Protected & secured wireless net- possible ancillary revenue earnings, get levels.
work to gather data to evaluate customer sat- The price of internet usage comes at a
Ó Wide range of entertainment content isfaction through feedback surveys and much higher price than what is avail-
Ó Easy access to on-board services similar. Airlines can capture passenger able on ground. Passengers must be
Availability of content on the device preferences and tailor content accord- aware of the rates in advance, instead
of passengers can either be manual or ingly. A short, digital feedback form if of being alarmed and disappointed.
automatic. Manual onboarding requires filled in by most passengers, can bring Internet laws differ from one coun-
registering on the flight portal’s URL, to in a host of data. This could give airlines try to another. Also, many websites
get on the network. Through the portal to align their services to passenger available in one country might not give
passengers can engage in duty-free needs. access when the plane connects to
shopping and purchase internet data as A secondary source of revenue is pos- another country’s internet. Businesses
well, if required. sible by making inflight content free, personalize their website’s content
In automated onboarding, passenger but charge passengers for internet, based on geolocation
devices are configured with a subscrip- based on data consumed.
tion provided by the airline. A Dynamic Enablers of Inflight Connectivity
Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Watchpoints VPNs facilitate access to any website
automatically allocates IP addresses for Distance and latency are two challenges from anywhere. They are encrypted and
accessing portal services. The automat- facing non-stop and consistent inflight secure internet connection; A Captive
ed system allows, users switch between connectivity. The aircraft covers vast dis- portal or a CAPPORT displays network-
multiple networks throughout the flight, tances and this can weaken connections related information and prompts users
seamlessly. over certain spots. The way to circumvent to enter credentials before accessing
Onboard Wi-Fi enabled the Internet on this would mean switching from one the Internet. Important information for
flying aeroplanes and the market is still ground station to another, several times an equitable distribution of bandwidth,
expected to rise. Passengers now have or switching between satellites. accurate usage tracking, and invoice
access to in-flight content like movies, Latency, happens a lot of times on generation is possible.
shorts, documentaries, flight routes/ account of this switching. These drops OpenRoaming by Wireless Broad-
maps, flight information, or just brows- then become service issues, which air band Alliance (WBA) helps passengers
ing the Internet. travellers are conscious of. Advanced maintain a stable internet connection
systems of are smart and efficient, and by switching to multiple networks
Crew & Passengers look forward to the can erase much of these inconsistencies throughout the journey.
following: today inflight systems are extraordinari- Next Generation Hotspot Solution
Ó Ergonomic & easy-to use web inter- ly efficient and make all of this nearly by HSC is a cloud-hosted hotspot
face invisible to end users. 2.0-based network solution that brings

14 15 July, 2024 www.mrobusinesstoday.com