Patent ID: 8254913

Claim:
A system of providing high speed data communications to an in-flight aircraft, comprising: a plurality of ground transmission stations that are located along a predefined air corridor within overlapping communications range; and a receiver station located on board the in-flight aircraft, where the plurality of ground transmission stations provide a high speed data communications link continuous and uninterrupted in time with the aircraft receiver station according to IEEE 802.16 Air Interface Standard, 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 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.