Australia’s largest telco Telstra is conducting flight tests that would allow inflight wi-fi access using 4G mobile phone technology.
The technology, dubbed ‘Skinet’, uses four specially-built mobile phone tower sites with upwards-facing antennas located underneath the Melbourne-Sydney flightpath and a specially-fitted antenna on the aircraft.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today. A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
Access to the Australian Aviation app
Australian Aviation quarterly digital magazines
Access to In Focus reports via our app
Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
Daily news updates via our email bulletin
Telstra executive director of networks Mike Wright said Telstra was exploring the “possible economics around building a nationwide, commercial LTE network in the sky”.
“We were able to successfully establish and maintain data connections, achieving a maximum data throughput of 15 Mbps, with an average throughput around 10 Mbps,” Wright wrote on the Telstra Exchange blog.
The tests were conducted using a Cessna and a private jet flying between Australia’s two most populous cities, according to the Australian Financial Review.
==
==
Wright said high-speed broadband could be used not only by passengers to get online but also for a range of “remote monitoring and control applications”.
iscover
Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
Raymond
says:Is something like this already operational in any other countries?
stephen a
says:why dont we fix the on ground before we worry about the air