The Rapid progress in the inclusion of new technologies And the communication networks on airplanes have rendered obsolete the role played by the LCD monitors in the aircraft seats, until now an element of modernity.
Since forever, having a way of entertainment During a long flight it is almost essential. With the idea of making flights more comfortable, screens were incorporated into the seats of larger or high-end aircraft, so that the passenger could enjoy movies, series, or access multimedia information related to the flight or the aircraft. But the limitations in the audiovisual reproductions themselves and copyright laws, along with the great increase in the technology of personal equipment that offer the possibility for each person to perform the task that suits them best, whether for leisure or work, make this type of screens increasingly less used. The number of personal digital media available in the hands of each user continues to grow.. Its growing use is justified by the ability it offers to continue working during those small waiting times before and after flights, to send an email, to advance in a presentation, to finish drafting a report or to solve a problem.
Given the state of technology, it is reasonable to think that in a very short time the services of personal connectivity in flight will be almost as extensive as if we were on land.
On the part of manufacturers and airlines, the system installed to operate the screens takes up space, the wiring system is heavy, and the screens themselves are quite large, consume energy, and require maintenance. All of this translates into a Expenditure on the manufacture, commissioning and operation of any aircraft, This has created a situation in which these types of media have already begun to disappear.
Next, it is necessary to address the resolution of other issues such as: Massive connectivity or the possible cause-effect relationships Interferences between the teams and the aircraft.
Possible interference has always been an argument against the use of personal technologies on board. However, in some countries their use is already permitted throughout the entire flight.
The European Aviation Safety Agency They have already changed their regulations and since September 2014 mobile and portable devices can be used on a flight without needing to activate the “airplane mode” and for almost the entire journey. This change may be restricted by each airline or may even depend on each flight and the captain’s instructions, depending on the aircraft. In any case, it is a step forward for the use of mobile devices during long flights by plane.
In the United States, they have fully embraced this change in connectivity. The clearest example is Gogo Inflight Internet, American Airlines is the first American company to offer this service in flight. Eight airlines are part of this network, including the giants Delta Airlines and US Airways, which offer this feature only on certain flights. American Airlines, the largest airline in the country, has introduced a fleet of aircraft that lacks screens and multimedia systems in their seats, thinking that other personal connectivity is possible.
The operation of the network is similar to that of other open land-based packet-based payment networks. The user connects to the access point using their network card and, when they open their browser, they are redirected to the payment site.
However, there are two that have gone further: AirTran Airways and Virgin Airways. In the latter case, it has been a pioneer in connecting to the Internet from aircraft. In late 2008, it already offered the first flight with a 1mega connection speed, served through a 3G infrastructure. Today, it remains the standard offered in all services.
Although This technology currently only works on continental flights.. Gogo's owner, Aircell, has placed communication towers across the American country that broadcast the signal to the receivers located on the aircraft: a GPS antenna on the top and two ATG on the belly, thus avoiding having to use satellite connections, with a much slower response time. Then, the general signal is routed back from the aircraft to the WiFi devices of each user.
Navigation from these aircraft is so normalized that practically all services are already available. From checking email and visiting news pages to social media, including YouTube. But there are limitations, such as data sharing and streaming, These have been restricted to avoid saturation of the line. However, some commercial exceptions have been left in place. After all, the aircraft have their own partners to offer audiovisual content during flight.
Tablets and smartphones are here to stay, and their continued connection to the Internet forces this opening of the aircraft to the network. Being connected in the terminal is an increasingly followed and widespread trend that is abruptly interrupted when boarding. In mid-flight, perhaps the biggest inconvenience is another one: the scant space left by the aircraft to take out a laptop and start browsing, but that’s another story. It’s reasonable to think that the expansion of these services worldwide should be a matter of time, very little time.
