Patent ID: 8311533

Claim:
An airborne communication node configured to receive high speed data communications on an in-flight aircraft, comprising: a receiver station disposed on the in-flight aircraft, the receiver station configured to communicate with at least one of a plurality of ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being located along a predefined air corridor such that at least some of the ground transmission stations are within overlapping communications range of respective other ones of the ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being configured to communicate with the receiver station to provide a high speed data communications link continuous and uninterrupted in time with the receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol, wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft is within a coverage area provided by one of the plurality of ground transmission stations and as the in-flight aircraft moves from the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations to a coverage area provided by another of the plurality of ground transmission stations, and wherein a media access control layer of the high speed data communications link employs a variable length protocol data unit.