Internet services on aeroplanes are going to get a lot better, as live sports streaming and new services become a reality.
Only around 5% of passengers currently use Wi-Fi on flights if they have to pay for the service due to low data speeds, however advancements in technology are now making higher speeds a reality.
Panasonic Avionics, which equips planes with Wi-Fi networks, expects the next step to be service creation.
David Bruner, VP, global communications services, said: "There is a need for broad, comprehensive services to get things moving forward."
The company expects there to be nearly five times its current industry tally to be connected to its Wi-Fi networks in the next 10 years, which would mean 14,000 aircraft connected to the network.
Not only would improved services provide better entertainment for passengers with a greater array of viewing choices, but it would also create new touch points for carriers to engage. This can lead to a better tailoring of services, monetisation of connectivity through advertising and other improvements.
Utilising the growing capabilities of IoT would mean that sensors could regularly communicate performance to save up to 10% on maintenance costs. Although, this is likely to be expensive, costing as much as $2 million to retrofit a regional-size airline with sensors and hardware.
One area that is likely to be a concern though is the vulnerability of Wi-Fi networks, particularly with hacking attacks grounding flights regularly.
Global Express, the constellation of satellites owned by Inmarsat, will be able to offer transmission speeds of up to 50 Mbps, while currently the company’s fourth generation network can only offer up to 500 Kbps. However, the new satellites which will improve network coverage and speed, have been delayed due to technical problems with the rocket set to launch them.
