Cruising the Net at 35,000 Feet

iPass to offer in-flight access through Aircell's Gogo service this summer.

iPass customers know the value of Wi-Fi access in airports. With secure connections at more than 550 airports worldwide, it's very convenient to respond to e-mail, access large files and gain VPN access to corporate network resources between flights. Imagine the possibilities if you could do all of this and more during your flight.

Thanks to a recent agreement between iPass and Aircell, iPass users will be able to do just that on select American Airlines and Virgin America flights in North America. American is the world's largest airline and the first one to offer Aircell's in-flight mobile broadband service to passengers traveling within North America. The Aircell Gogo service will be implemented on American's entire fleet of Boeing 767-200 aircraft, used primarily to serve coast-to-coast flights, and may be available in the future on other domestic aircraft in its fleet. iPass expects to deliver this service to customers using Wi-Fi equipped handhelds and laptops this summer.

In a 2007 airline research study, travelers listed Internet access as the most desired in-flight service. That's not surprising in today's always-on world, where people rely on Internet access for business communications, information and entertainment. According to the report, two-thirds of business travelers and one-third of all leisure travelers in the U.S. travel with laptops, and 30 percent of all travelers carry Wi-Fi enabled phones and PDAs.

Taking Mobility to New Heights
In-flight Wi-Fi opens exciting opportunities to improve business productivity, collaboration and responsiveness. If you travel much, you've likely experienced the frustration of boarding a jet, but not being allowed to take off. The Aircell solution can make these delays much more tolerable, as it includes an independent terrestrial modem to provide passengers with ground-based connectivity from the cabin.

Instead of being out of touch the moment the cabin door closes, you can now communicate via e-mail, engage in IM conversations or even attend Web-based training during your flight. In fact, you'll have secure, up-to-the-minute access to corporate applications and shifting calendars—as well as a wealth of travel-related services such as flight information, hotels and rental cars.

Flying High with Air-to-Ground Communications
Although Aircell may not yet be a household name, the company is no fly-by-night operation. Formed in 1991, this Colorado-based leader in air-to-ground (ATG) communications has major plans to change the way everyone thinks about in-flight communications and entertainment. The company has more than 30 patents and a proven history of providing satellite communications-based Internet systems for private planes.

In June 2006, Aircell purchased "exclusive-use" spectrum in the 800 MHz band and has recently completed its Aircell Mobile Broadband Network, equipping 100 cell sites to provide nationwide ATG coverage. According to AirCell, its ATG communications can deliver the equivalent of a 15 Mbps connection to the airplane which can then be shared across all of the users who choose to connect in flight. Passengers are expected to experience DSL-like access speeds. The Aircell network is also designed to ensure quality of service, allowing traffic prioritization.

Passing Testing with Flying Colors
The Aircell solution soared through testing approval with the FAA at the end of 2007, and will complete iPass Enterprise Ready testing shortly to ensure service availability and compatibility with leading enterprise VPNs and applications, hardware, security software and management tools.

"Customers trust iPass for secure, available and hassle-free connections," states Piero DePaoli, Director of Product Marketing for iPass. "They also choose iPass for our unique ability to manage their mobile connections, devices and costs."

In-flight Wi-Fi opens exciting opportunities to improve business productivity, collaboration and responsiveness. You can now communicate via e-mail, engage in IM conversations or even attend Web-based training during your flight.

When it comes to mobility, iPass provides non-stop service the world over—even 35,000 feet above it.

Read the press release »