The Boeing Co. this week announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the company approval for a broadband system onboard its airplanes.
Dubbed Connexion by Boeing, the system will give passengers access to real-time, high-speed Internet and intranet access, television, entertainment and e-mail. Boeing said the service can accommodate every passenger on the plane at once.
“Working closely with FAA officials, our flight test team has completed highly rigorous testing of the components necessary to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to the airlines and their passengers,” said Ed Laase, director of System Development for Connexion by Boeing.
The certification process, which took place on a Boeing 737, included testing and demonstrations, to verify there was neither any impact to the structural integrity of the aircraft or interference with onboard systems or handling characteristics.
The final test summary paperwork necessary for certification was e-mailed to FAA officials in Los Angeles via the satellite communication link from the Connexion One airplane, while flying 35,000 feet above New Mexico. The document and supporting material, totaling 800kb, were transmitted to FAA officials in real-time in less than 30 seconds.
More information, including an FAQ, on the service is available from the Boeing Web site.
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