What? Wireless air travel? Yeah, It’s coming soon
In early 2007, on air will arrive. OnAir is a service that uses satellite technology to enable air travel passengers to use wireless devices such as mobile phones, Internet connections from computers and Blackberries during a flight. The debate over the use of wireless technology during flight has been going on for years, and now that it’s about to happen, the debate is likely to heat up.
First of all, you should know that the first wave of this will not be happening on US flights. Airbus, the plane manufacturer who is creating this technology, is selling it to AirFrance. AirFrance is expected to have the service available to passengers in early 2007. Whether passengers will have to pay for the service like they pay for headphones for a movie is not known yet. Two other airlines, the British airline bmi and TAP Air Portugal are both considering using OnAir, but nothing has been finalized, yet.
So what is the debate all about? Who wouldn’t want the convenience of using their cell phone during a long flight, getting important e-mails on their Blackberry or having the luxury of surfing the Internet to pass the time? Apparently, lots of people and for some very valid reasons.
The Safety Consideration
There has been an ongoing concern that the use of mobile phones (cell phones to us Americans) and other devices that use wireless technology could interfere with the plane’s navigational equipment. Recent technological advances in both navigational equipment and cell phone technology seem to negate this concern, but not everyone is convinced. There is concern that the navigational equipment on older planes may still be affected.
The Mobile Phone Debate
Okay, suppose the safety issue is taken care of and there is no concern that wireless communications technology will interfere with the plane’s navigational equipment. What objection is there to the use of mobile phone’s during a flight?
Surveys have shown that the majority of air travelers are against the use of mobile phones on an airplane because it would be downright annoying to sit next to someone who is receiving and making phone calls for hours on a flight. They imagine being stuck between two incessant talkers.
Common sense would seem to tell you that people wouldn’t really be so inconsiderate as to have hour’s long conversations on their mobile phone during a flight. But experience has shown us when it comes to mobile phones, most people loose their common sense. People will hold loud personal conversations in restaurants and grocery stores and on buses. They will drive using a handheld mobile phone even states where it has been made illegal. So does anyone really believe that people will use common sense and consideration during air travel? Not really.
It’s easy to see the scenario. Business people who intend to be considerate will receive what they deem to be a very important business call and end up talking longer than they expected. Or, a mom who just wants to check on her children for a minute will end up having to chat with each one of them before she can hang up.
It’s no wonder that air travel passengers are concerned that the use of mobile phones will become an annoyance during flights. They already are an annoyance down on the ground. Another concern some air travelers have will be the tension that all of this annoyance will create, perhaps making already jittery flyers more frustrated and pushing them over the edge.
Some people are already nervous just about flying. Add a cramped, overcrowded plane to the mix, the constant threat of terrorism, the restrictions on what can be carried on, and now the addition of an inconsiderate mobile phone user sitting right next to that nervous flyer, and someone might just snap.
What about Internet connection?
Travelers aren’t as adamantly against the use of Internet connections for computers and pda’s such as Blackberrys. Those devices are quiet. Many passengers already use their laptop computers on a flight; it’s just not connected to the Internet when they use it. Being able to send and receive e-mail messages while on a flight could be convenient to most people, particularly business travelers. There doesn’t seem to be much of a debate over these devices as long as safety is not a concern.
What Can be Done?
When should you start being concerned with this issue? As of right now, US carriers don’t seem to be considering using OnAir or any service like it. A report on MSN Travel said that the airlines that they asked – AirTran, Spirit, and US Airways – all said that they have heard their passengers say they don’t want mobile phones used on planes and are against adding the services. However, the question is, if these services do catch on in Europe and prove to be a money maker for the carriers who use it, will the US carriers jump on board? In an era of shrinking profits, will they be able to resist?
So if the trial that AirFrance is giving OnAir proves to be successful and the US carriers jump on board, what can be done to make sure that mobile phone usage does not become a problem on board?
One solution is to have no cell phone usage times. Perhaps next to the little light above your seat that lets you know if you need to have your seat belt fastened or not, there could be another light that lets you know if it’s the proper time to use your cell phone or not. Cell phone time could be restricted on long flights and on flights that are overnight when most people would want to sleep.
Another solution is to give the crew the ability to disable the voice function on devices during restricted times. During those times text messaging and e-mailing would be allowed, but talking would be disabled.
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What? Wireless air travel? Yeah, It’s coming soon
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In early 2007, on air will arrive. OnAir is a service that uses satellite technology to enable air travel passengers to use wireless devices such as mobile phones, Internet connections from computers and Blackberries during a flight. The debate over the use of wireless technology during flight has been going on for years, and now that it?s about to happen, the debate is likely to heat up.
First of all, you should know that the first wave of this will not be happening on US flights. Airbus, the plane manufacturer who is creating this technology, is selling it to AirFrance. AirFrance is expected to have the service available to passengers in early 2007. Whether passengers will have to pay for the service like they pay for headphones for a movie is not known yet. Two other airlines, the British airline bmi and TAP Air Portugal are both considering using OnAir, but nothing has been finalized, yet.
So what is the debate all about? Who wouldn?t want the convenience of using their cell phone during a long flight, getting important e-mails on their Blackberry or having the luxury of surfing the Internet to pass the time? Apparently, lots of people and for some very valid reasons.
The Safety Consideration
There has been an ongoing concern that the use of mobile phones (cell phones to us Americans) and other devices that use wireless technology could interfere with the plane?s navigational equipment. Recent technological advances in both navigational equipment and cell phone technology seem to negate this concern, but not everyone is convinced. There is concern that the navigational equipment on older planes may still be affected.
The Mobile Phone Debate
Okay, suppose the safety issue is taken care of and there is no concern that wireless communications technology will interfere with the plane?s navigational equipment. What objection is there to the use of mobile phone?s during a flight?
Surveys have shown that the majority of air travelers are against the use of mobile phones on an airplane because it would be downright annoying to sit next to someone who is receiving and making phone calls for hours on a flight. They imagine being stuck between two incessant talkers.
Common sense would seem to tell you that people wouldn?t really be so inconsiderate as to have hour?s long conversations on their mobile phone during a flight. But experience has shown us when it comes to mobile phones, most people loose their common sense. People will hold loud personal conversations in restaurants and grocery stores and on buses. They will drive using a handheld mobile phone even states where it has been made illegal. So does anyone really believe that people will use common sense and consideration during air travel? Not really.
It?s easy to see the scenario. Business people who intend to be considerate will receive what they deem to be a very important business call and end up talking longer than they expected. Or, a mom who just wants to check on her children for a minute will end up having to chat with each one of them before she can hang up.
It?s no wonder that air travel passengers are concerned that the use of mobile phones will become an annoyance during flights. They already are an annoyance down on the ground. Another concern some air travelers have will be the tension that all of this annoyance will create, perhaps making already jittery flyers more frustrated and pushing them over the edge.
Some people are already nervous just about flying. Add a cramped, overcrowded plane to the mix, the constant threat of terrorism, the restrictions on what can be carried on, and now the addition of an inconsiderate mobile phone user sitting right next to that nervous flyer, and someone might just snap.
What about Internet connection?
Travelers aren?t as adamantly against the use of Internet connections for computers and pda?s such as Blackberrys. Those devices are quiet. Many passengers already use their laptop computers on a flight; it?s just not connected to the Internet when they use it. Being able to send and receive e-mail messages while on a flight could be convenient to most people, particularly business travelers. There doesn?t seem to be much of a debate over these devices as long as safety is not a concern.
What Can be Done?
When should you start being concerned with this issue? As of right now, US carriers don?t seem to be considering using OnAir or any service like it. A report on MSN Travel said that the airlines that they asked ? AirTran, Spirit, and US Airways ? all said that they have heard their passengers say they don?t want mobile phones used on planes and are against adding the services. However, the question is, if these services do catch on in Europe and prove to be a money maker for the carriers who use it, will the US carriers jump on board? In an era of shrinking profits, will they be able to resist?
So if the trial that AirFrance is giving OnAir proves to be successful and the US carriers jump on board, what can be done to make sure that mobile phone usage does not become a problem on board?
One solution is to have no cell phone usage times. Perhaps next to the little light above your seat that lets you know if you need to have your seat belt fastened or not, there could be another light that lets you know if it?s the proper time to use your cell phone or not. Cell phone time could be restricted on long flights and on flights that are overnight when most people would want to sleep.
Another solution is to give the crew the ability to disable the voice function on devices during restricted times. During those times text messaging and e-mailing would be allowed, but talking would be disabled.
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New embedded KVH TracVision automotive satellite TV system featured on Cadillac Limo.: An article from: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter
Product Description
This digital document is an article from Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter, published by Information Gatekeepers, Inc. on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 431 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: New embedded KVH TracVision automotive satellite TV system featured on Cadillac Limo.(Cadillac Escalade)
Publication: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter (Newsletter)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Information Gatekeepers, Inc.
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Distributed by Thomson Gale
New embedded KVH TracVision automotive satellite TV system featured on Cadillac Limo.: An article from: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter
WildBlue And Wireless Routers
The communication between your computer and your wireless router is a lot like having a two-way-radio. Wireless networks are easy to set up and are very inexpensive. Here is how it works! In your computer there is what’s called a “wireless adapter”. Almost any new computer should already come with this installed. Your computer’s wireless adapter can translate any data you may have stored on your computer into a radio signal. Your wireless adapter will then send that radio signal to your wireless router.
Your wireless router will then take that radio signal that your computer’s wireless adapter sent, and decode it. The router sends that information to the Internet using an Ethernet cable.
This cable is colored yellow or gray and looks like a phone cable only bigger. It is plugged into the back of your router and runs to the modem that your Internet service provider, (ISP) supplied you with. The modem is what actually brings the Internet to your home. If you have a cable ISP, they some times will give you a modem that double as a wireless router. They usually add a charge for this on your monthly bill. DSL and Satellite ISP’s do not offer that.
This process can also work in reverse. The wireless router can receive information from the Internet, translate it into a radio signal and send it to the computer’s wireless adapter. Giving you Internet on your computer.
How many computers will work with WiFi? Several. As long as all the computers or laptops have wireless adapters, they can use one router to connect to the Internet. The wireless connection is invisible and fairly reliable. Unfortunately, if too many computers are connected at the same time the users may see some interference or even lose their connections as the bandwidth is limited in this setup.
Bandwidth To help you try and understand what bandwidth is, think of the Internet as one big highway, and the information you take in as a car on that highway. If you’re the only car on the highway you will travel much more quickly and with a lot more ease. If there are a lot of cars on the highway, traffic can build up and slow everybody down.
In theory your Internet works the same way. If you are the only computer connecting to your wireless router, then all the transferring of information should happen fairly quickly. If there are many computers connecting to your wireless network, the information may reach you much slower.
F.A.P. (Fair Access Policy) When it comes to cable Internet providers, the amount of streaming or downloading you are allowed to do is virtually endless, their bandwidth/highway is fairly large and can provide you with that luxury. If you have DSL or even the dreaded dial up, your Internet is brought to your home using a phone line and provides a smaller bandwidth range than a cable ISP.
This is why you may experience a slower speed or get knocked of the Internet when your ISP is a phone company.
With satellite Internet like WildBlue, they put a F.A.P (Fair Access Policy) in place. What the F.A.P does is limit all their user’s bandwidth to a cretin amount. Think of the highway again. If you put a limit on how many cars can drive on the highway it would reduce the amount of traffic, there for you will be able to keep a certain speed while traveling. F.A.P. allows you to take the information from the Internet at the same speed as everyone else on that service without and interruption or risk of being kicked off. When a satellite ISP puts a bandwidth cap on their Internet usage it is more for your protection then anything else.
Video and Audio Streaming Your Internet Bandwidth plays a very big role in the amount of streaming video and audio you can get to your computer. When you use streaming programs like Netflix or Hulu, they require your Internet to have a large amount of bandwidth. Think of the highway again, but instead of the car think of the highway the car is driving on as information. Think of your car hauling a movie that you want to stream. If your highway/bandwidth isn’t big enough your car won’t be able to deliver the goods. The same rule applies for downloading as well.
Video and Audio Downloading Streaming and downloading are very similar in they way they receive the information from your wireless router, but are still very much different. Streaming technology allows you to watch live or on-demand video, without having to store or make a copy of the information to your computer’s hard drive. When using downloading programs like Napster, Kaaza, or even iTunes to download video or music, you are taking the file or information that those programs provide you and making a direct copy of the file to store on your computer for later use.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) VoIP, (Voice over Internet Protocol), is the process of taking analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and transferring them into a digital signal. This takes a standard of Internet connection and turns it into a way to make free phone calls. There is VoIP software available for download for free online; and a lot of VoIP companies like Vonage or Magic Jack are offering minute-rate plans just like a cell phone. These plans are available for as little as $30. VoIP providers add features for free that most normal phone companies will charge you extra for. VoIP plans usually include:
* 3-way calling * Call waiting * Call transfer * Caller ID * Return call * Repeat dial Although VoIP is less expensive, the network that makes up the Internet is much more complicated and has a greater margin of error, because of this, VoIP is a lot less reliable then your normal phone company. VoIP is run on wall power. You home phone is runs off of phantom power (unless it is a cordless) that’s provided over the phone line from the phone company. Unlink VoIP, your home phone line will still work even when you home has no power. VoIP will not.
Because VoIP uses your Internet connection, it is vulnerable to all the normal problems that you might run into when having an Internet connection.
* Bandwidth * Latency (Delays) * Viruses * Drop offs All of these factors can affect your call quality and is why VoIP is not recommended with the use of satellite Internet.
Wireless Internet Air Card Cautions
Let’s first take a look at the technology behind these Air Cards. Wireless Internet cards share cell phone towers…. Chances are if you do not receive good cell phone coverage you will not receive adequate Internet coverage. I am assuming the vast majority of rural Americans considering this option are dial up Internet users, who sadly may be trading an already unreliable solution for another if they opt for Wireless Internet cards. Air Cards are usually best suited for laptops. For example you would be unable to use a wireless router in your home if this was connected to a desktop computer. You should also expect installation charges if you do order one of these cards, unless you are technically inclined to install it yourself.
If you are inclined to still opt for a Wireless Air Card, you will need to tread cautiously and make sure there is some kind of opt out or trial period, not a lot of those providers have such options, but spending between $50-$150 to purchase this device and plan can be expensive if it doesn’t work well. Many of providers have two-year contracts with a flat $300 fee for early termination. Check for service guarantees.
The majority of Wireless Internet Aircards services are billed through a cell phone provider. Think for a minute when you first got your cell phone plan, remember what it was supposed to cost monthly? If you thought your cell phone bill had extra fees just wait. Wireless Internet cards use an allotment, usually 5000 megabytes. When you exceed this allotment, and you most likely will, you are charged rather expensive fees. Just think of the first time you were shocked for texting or data usage on your phone. Now imagine the money you will have to pay after a months worth of Wireless Internet card usage.
There are safer, less expensive and more reliable alternatives to an AirCard Internet provider for rural Americans saddled only with dial up options and that is Satellite Internet service.
Technicians determine your Satellite Internet signal and install if it is strong enough. This is the same process and same technology that applies to Satellite TV. Start up is minimal compared to what it costs years ago. WildBlue Satellite Internet is actually less to start up than competitive dealers and the overall first choice of many rural users. Statements are easy to read and available online with no confusing charges. WildBlue provides the largest data threshold in the industry 7.5-17 gigabytes monthly, so robust in fact that only 3% of WildBlue users actually exceed the limits. If you do, there are no additional fees; your speed is simply slowed down until you have regained enough threshold to get back to full speed. Speeds are approximately 10-30 times faster than dialup.
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This digital document is an article from Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 659 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: DirecTV to launch world’s first fully integrated, portable satellite and TV system.(SERVICES)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Page: 11(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
DirecTV to launch world’s first fully integrated, portable satellite and TV system.: An article from: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter
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Product Description
This digital document is an article from Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 659 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: DirecTV to launch world’s first fully integrated, portable satellite and TV system.(SERVICES)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter (Newsletter)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Page: 11(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Product Description
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Publication: Wireless Satellite and Broadcasting Newsletter (Newsletter)
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Publisher: Information Gatekeepers, Inc.
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