Wi-Fi is now available on every JetBlue flight and aircraft.
The budget airline announced the finished rollout of Fly-Fi, a free in-flight Wi-Fi service that claims to offer faster connections than some paid options like Gogo.
The service is now available on all flights while a number of airports in the U.S. and elsewhere are offering access as well, though in rare cases it may be paid —like Newburgh, N.Y. —or non-existent, as with places like Mexico City and Montego Bay.
You’re about to get faster Wi-Fi on hundreds of additional flights.
The FAA has approved in-flight broadband provider GoGo’s 2Ku technology, allowing for in-flight data speeds up to 70Mbps. GoGo is hoping to launch the service this year.
In-flight broadband provider Gogo’s 2Ku technology has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, opening the door for data speeds up to 70Mbps. The company is hoping to launch commercial services this year.
This was the final hurdle to be cleared before Gogo could launch tech technology.
United Airlines this week began deploying Wi-Fi on some of its flights. Per the Chicago Tribune, the rollout will at first cover longer flights between California and New York and should have 13 Boeing 757 planes in United’s fleet offering Internet access by mid-November. Like similar approaches from Virgin and other airlines, the new approach is based on Aircell’s Gogo technology and shares a 3G cellular connection (typically EVDO Revision A) with the entire cabin over a Wi-Fi hotspot in the plane itself.
All the proposed flights so far will be long-haul trips and so will use the higher end of Gogo’s existing pricing plans. Those with notebooks or netbooks will pay US$13 for access during the entire flight, while owners of iPhones and other handhelds/smartphones pay US$8 for the same period. Voice over IP remains off-limits as a consideration for other passengers.
Echoing the strategies of Delta and US Airways, United so far is using the service in trial form and will wait for feedback before it decides to bring Wi-Fi to all of its flights.