Wi-Fi Takes Flight With Connexion By Boeing

In a journalistic first, Satellite Today has set out on a journey three quarters of the way around the world to take a look at the first airline offering broadband Internet services to commercial passengers. Lufthansa [DLAKY] went live with the service – on its Munich to Tokyo run – last month, using Connexion by Boeing.

For those not familiar with Connexion, it’s a satellite-based service that Boeing would have dearly loved to have had up and running on U.S. carriers by last year at the latest. The events of 9/11, combined with the economic slump, caused that business plan to suffer a crash landing when U.S. airlines all cancelled their participation.

Along the way to Tokyo, our colleague Stuart Zipper also is surveying the state of Wi-Fi and any other available broadband connections at various airports and hotels. His plans include an attempt to publish an update to our sister Web site TelecomWeb directly from the plane, which we expect should be just about as easy as doing it from our office – assuming the Connexion service works as promised.