Patent ID: 7107062

Claim:
A system for managing multiple communications links that are extant between an aircraft and at least one terrestrial communication network, comprising: at least one base station means, located in said aircraft, for generating radio frequency communication signals to communicate with a plurality of wireless subscriber devices that are located in said aircraft; aircraft controller means for aggregating call traffic from said plurality of wireless subscriber devices on to said multiple communication links as aggregate data streams; traffic load means for determining an optimal configuration for aggregating said call traffic for said aircraft on to said multiple communication links as a function of at least one of: present call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, predicted future call traffic loads on said multiple communication links, present physical location of the aircraft, predicted future physical location of the aircraft, type of call traffic; and ground controller means, responsive to said traffic load means, for communicating control instructions to said aircraft controller means to control distribution of said call traffic on said multiple communications links.