Wi-Fi Broadband Service Available In-Flight

Row 44, a Los Angeles company, has introduced a broadband Internet service that it says will allow air travelers in-flight to use their own Wi-Fi-compatible devices. The service will operate over existing high-capacity satellite systems.

The company promises data link transfer rates as high as 81 megabits per second. It forecasts service that will support full-scale Internet surfing and e-mail with corporate VPN (virtual private network) access and can be expanded to include worldwide in-flight television reception. The initial production is aimed at the airlines but Row 44 president Gregg Fialcowitz said the product can be scaled for business aircraft as well.