While domestic carriers are holding back, some overseas airlines are moving full-tilt into providing wireless access. And Boeing is rolling out a satellite-based communications service of its own, called Connexion. The broadband service has been tested on corporate jets and government planes for the past three years. Boeing says it's now in negotiations to get major U.S. commercial airlines to adopt the system. U.S. commercial carriers, however, learned the virtue of patience the hard way in the mid-1980s, when they rushed to install seatback television screens on planes.
Cost is also an issue.
Usually, a plane must be pulled out of service for up to seven days to be equipped with individual seat power sources, an on-board server, and proper antennas. But the payback from such improvements is uncertain because of doubts over how well the service providers' business models will work. But analysts say the recent volatility in online advertising and e-commerce could make those revenues iffy. As an interim measure, airlines are prospecting for cheaper options. Some say they're looking into providing limited Web access, where a passenger could access 100 sites stored on an on-board server.