Airspace: The Final Frontier for the Internet?

by Christopher Trout

Checking In: In-flight IM
Checking Out: Chatting with your seatmate

When Apple introduced the iPhone last summer, it seemed there wasn’t a place left on Earth untouched by the long arm of the Internet. The possibilities were endless. You could check your e-mail on the toilet, update your Netflix at the opera, and even browse myspace at work. The Internet was everywhere–almost. Up until a few months ago, there was still at least one net-free zone–the sky. But today, the Internet really is everywhere, even 10,000 feet above ground.

Late last year, JetBlue introduced in-flight high-speed Internet in their BetaBlue A320 Airbus, and other airlines, like American, have followed suit. Gone are the days of forced conversation with unpleasant seatmates. Now you can spend your time chatting with friends and family about the inane conversations you’re not having.

If the promise of mile-high messaging sounds familiar–it should. In 2004, Boeing introduced its own high-speed Internet connectivity service aptly titled, Connexion by Boeing, but it didn’t exactly take off. Connexion, which was picked up by multiple foreign airlines including Germany’s Lufthansa and Japan Airlines, was canceled in 2006.

So why did Connexion crash and burn? Well, there are multiple theories, but the one that holds the most weight is fairly simple–cost. At a time when people were growing used to free WiFi, users were expected to pay $30 per flight or $10 per hour to connect. JetBlue hopes to avoid the pit-falls that killed Connexion by offering their service free of charge. BetaBlue guests can connect to the outside World via Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger, Blackberry e-mail and Blackberry Messenger services. Given, you won’t be able to Google yourself at 30,000 feet, but at least you won’t have to suffer an unpleasant flight alone.

According to accounts by BetaBlue passengers, there are still a few kinks to iron out–connections aren’t always consistent and not all passengers have access to power outlets–but free Internet is free Internet. With airlines piling on added fees, and skyrocketing oil prices driving ticket costs sky-high, BetaBlue is a breath of fresh air.