In-flight broadband to take off with AirCell?

Air travellers starved for in-flight internet access may soon find solace, thanks to a US company that wants to offer wi-fi service aloft.

AirCell said on Monday it plans to use a newly acquired radio spectrum licence to offer "affordable" broadband service aboard commercial airplanes. Formed in 1991, the company already sells satellite-based voice and data services to the general aviation sector, primarily the corporate jet set.

In the style of café hot spots, AirCell's idea would let passengers link up any computer or handheld using the 802.11b or 802.11g wireless standards while in the air. The network, which the privately held company hopes to begin testing and deploying on commercial aircraft next year, would work by channelling communications from at least one miniature cell site - called a "picocell" - on the plane to special cell sites on the ground.

AirCell's plan would not conflict with a federal ban on in-flight mobile phone use because the proposed network operates at a different frequency than that which could pose interference threats to aircraft navigational systems, according to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) official.

But offering wi-fi service also means air travellers could use voice over IP (VoIP) phones and applications such as Skype to make voice calls - a development sure to vex seatmates.

Frontier Airlines, which ranks 11th or 12th in size among carriers, is definitely considering a wi-fi network for its next phase of in-flight entertainment but it is likely to block VoIP conversations and continue to prohibit mobile phone calls, according to a company spokesman.

He said: "Unless we hear strongly otherwise from our passengers, our stand is we don't think it has a place right now in our cabin. We're running pretty full planes... If you're not sitting next to two people, you're sitting next to at least one person, and it just would be a difficult experience."

AirCell, for its part, doesn't have any takers yet. It plans first to cover planes traversing the continental US and later expand the network to the rest of North America.

The company said it will be able to keep traditionally high installation and operating costs low by using "commercially available" technology and a direct air-to-ground link, rather the than bulky, expensive satellites used by some existing in-flight communications systems.

AirCell CEO Jack Blumenstein said in a telephone interview on Monday: "We want to encourage wide adoption."

Precisely how much the company will charge consumers remains unclear. Blumenstein said the company would aim for a price "well below what one has seen historically in these premium aviation services" in the hopes of luring not only business travellers but also the general public.

News of AirCell's wi-fi plans follows an FCC announcement that the company and JetBlue Airways emerged as the top bidders in an auction of two wireless bands which concluded on Friday. A JetBlue representative declined to provide details of the airline's proposal at the time. Both bids remain subject to final approval by the FCC.

Under the licence, AirCell would launch its service in the 800MHz spectrum currently occupied by Verizon's Airfone service, which permits air-to-ground telephone service but never proved wildly popular because of its high price tag. Once favoured to win the auction, Verizon dropped out of the running early. Its licence expires in 2010 but it must relinquish its part of the spectrum within two years of when AirCell receives its own licence.

The idea of in-flight internet use is hardly new, although its adoption hit snags during the airline industry's post-11 September financial struggles. But like any new in-flight add-ons, AirCell's proposed network would also have to earn the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) stamp of approval before going live. Any airline wishing to install the system would have to demonstrate to the FAA it wouldn't interfere with the aircraft's communications or navigational systems.

AirCell ran several tests of the planned network on a high-end business jet last autumn and claims it is capable of delivering internet access at speeds of 600mph and altitudes of 40,000ft. Users on that "flying prototype" were able to send and receive email, surf the web and watch live video feeds, CEO Blumenstein said.

Anne Broache writes for CNET News.com