London - Broadband speeds could rise to as much as 10 times as fast on aircraft travelling in the UK, after the broadcasting regulator Ofcom cleared the way.
The watchdog has set up a regulatory process after satellite companies, including Inmarsat, developed systems capable of greatly improving broadband connections on various forms of transport, including boats and trains.
The Ofcom consultation - titled Earth Stations on Mobile Platforms - is likely to lead to major improvements next year, particularly to the slow broadband service currently available to airline passengers.
Inmarsat and fellow satellite companies Eutelsat and ViaSat, are ready to launch new commercial “spot-beam” satellite networks which support the use of these “earth station” receivers on mobile platforms, even when the forms of transport are moving very fast.
The Ofcom initiative opens the way for commercial airlines, ferry services and train companies to fit the technology and offer the enhanced service to their customers. It is likely that licences would be granted by Ofcom next year and that participating airlines would offer fast broadband links to customers as a marketing tool or at an additional charge.
“Recent innovations in satellite technology mean it is now possible for aircraft, ships and trains to access the internet at speeds closer to what you'd expect from home broadband,” Charles Jenne, policy director at Ofcom, said. “Ofcom is proposing to allow the use of this technology in the UK, which could benefit business users and holidaymakers who want to stay connected while travelling.”
Until now, aircraft passengers have enjoyed only limited access to the internet on flights, using in-flight entertainment systems or their mobile phones or internet-connected dongles. Broadband speeds are notoriously slow.
In North America, in-flight internet is available on only about 40 percent of the US and Canadian airline fleets. “When the plane lands, almost everybody immediately pulls out their phones,” Mark Dankberg, the chief executive of ViaSat, said.
“That gives you a sense of how many people would use it if it were better.” He said he believed that airline passengers would expect airlines to offer internet connections for free.
“You go to Starbucks and you can get free Wi-Fi, but you don't feel obligated to use it... free is what people want.”
The improvement in the service would be due to the earth stations being able to connect with satellites at high frequencies and with greater bandwidths, allowing the transmission of more information. - The Independent