Patent ID: 8521156

Claim:
A network comprising a plurality of communication nodes including: at least one surface node configured to provide a high speed data communications link for a receiver station responsive to the receiver station being within a coverage area defined by the at least one surface node; and a plurality of non-surface nodes configured to act as relay stations to provide the high speed data communications link to the receiver station responsive to at least one of the plurality of non-surface nodes being in communication with the at least one surface node and the receiver station being at an area outside of the coverage area defined by the at least one surface node, wherein the at least one surface node and the non-surface nodes are provider nodes configured to maintain the high speed data communications link with the receiver station continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft transitions between coverage areas defined by the provider nodes, and wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained between the receiver station and a respective one of the provider nodes without an in-flight storage server between the receiver station and the respective one of the provider nodes.