August 1st, 2007
In-flight Internet might work for you, but not for me
On Wednesday, in-flight mobile broadband solutions provider AirCell announced an agreement with American Airlines that would enable inflight Wi-Fi Internet access.
First up, sometime next year will be transcontinental routes, served by Boeing 767s.
That actually makes sense. Transcontinental nonstops leave passengers out of touch for five to six hours. If you are flying during the day, and are a wheeler-dealer waiting to hear news of a private equity commitment for that Real Estate Investment Trust you are heading- it would be nice to be able to find that out via email before you land.
Or maybe the restaurant your hosts tried to book is full, and they want to reach you for your Plan B approval. Or, your aunt’s biopsy results are due back today and you’ve been praying.
You get the idea. As hours pass aloft, the world turns. Maybe your world.
But I am wired a bit differently. I take the hours in the air as a respite, a time to read, to stare out the window and think, to read the nutrionel label on the peanut bag. Or maybe even to chat with a seatmate.
Sure, I could use in-flight Internet. I might even be tempted to ride Skype on top of my AirCell. Yes, that would presumably violate TOS but so what. Hey, could even blog from that wild blue yonder.
But on balance, I like the chillout time that flying enables. I find it a readily accessible form of therapy.
Ping me while I am flying? Unlikely.
You?
Loading ...Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
