Wireless Internet Coming Soon To jetBlue Flights

[x635 4,066]

Although no official announcment has been made by B6, I'm almost certain that this win will mean you will be able to wirelessly access the internet using your laptop or PDA on jetBlue flights......and/or possibly use your cell phone.

Dunkin' Donuts coffee, free 36 channels of live TV, and 100 channels of XM Satellite radio at each and every leather seat is among the many free amenities offered by jetBlue. Now if only these fuel prices we are being uneccesarily robbed with would go back down, so jetBlue's fares would be reasonable and a bargain again!

JetBlue wins air-ground wireless license

By PETER SVENSSON

AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- JetBlue Airways Corp. won a government auction Friday for wireless spectrum that could be used to provide in-flight telephone, Internet, or entertainment services.

The winning bid of $7.02 million was placed through New York-based JetBlue's entertainment subsidiary, LiveTV LLC, which provides DirecTV service on JetBlue flights.

The 1-megahertz frequency band sold by the Federal Communications Commission is nationwide and not limited to JetBlue aircraft, opening the possibility that LiveTV will offer the service to other airlines.

Because of FCC rules, auction participants have been unable to reveal their plans for the spectrum. JetBlue representatives did not immediately return calls Friday.

  

 

A larger swath of spectrum, 3 megahertz of bandwidth, was won by AirCell Inc. of Louisville, Colo., with backing by Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a New York-based private equity firm. That part of the auction was decided last week, when the other bidders for that band dropped out. The winning bid was $31.3 million.

AirCell makes equipment that provides voice and data service for aircraft passengers and crews through satellites. The equipment has been installed by the three largest fleets of time-share corporate jets, according to AirCell's Web site. An AirCell spokesman did not immediately return calls Friday.

The auction started with nine bidders on May 10. Since last week, however, JetBlue and Space Data Corp. were the sole contenders for the 1-megahertz slot, bidding it up from just above $1 million.

Space Data apparently did not plan to use the spectrum for aircraft. The Chandler, Ariz., company sends signal repeaters high into the air on unmanned balloons. The repeaters convey wireless data from oil company vehicles and pipelines to ground stations.

Space Data is also exploring using its balloons to provide cellular coverage to rural North Dakota, where phone carriers have little incentive to cover the thinly populated prairie with expensive cellular towers.

Both bands sold in the auction are currently used by Verizon Airfone, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc.

Airfone dropped out of the bidding early, with an apparent maximum bid of $12.4 million - surprisingly low for the country's largest telecommunications company by revenue.

Airfone will have now have two years to shrink the bandwidth used by its in-flight phone service, which began in 1984. Airlines with Airfone service include Continental, Delta, United and US Airways.

Airfone spokesman Jim Pilcher said he could not comment on the auction.

The Boeing Co. operates a competing in-flight broadband service, Connexion, for international carriers. It uses satellite links instead of air-to-ground communications. Boeing had earlier expressed interest in the auction but did not take part.

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Edited June 3, 2006 by x635

[WAS967 97]

Now if only they had power jacks for your laptop I'd consider flying them more often. Unless they recently added them to thier planes and I was unaware.

[dadbo46 50]

I love Jet Blue, but.....they're getting too big and their prices have increased dramatically.

Next trip to Orlando will be via Air Tran. Direct flights for $ 69 from Westchester County Airport.

Gonna miss the Dunkin Donut coffee though.