Southwest Airlines to test satellite-based Wi-Fi service: In-flight wireless Internet offerings powered by Row 44

Some Southwest Airlines customers will now be free to move around the Web.
The Dallas-based airline said on Tuesday it will offer in-flight Internet access to customers, but is using different technology than its competitors. Southwest said it will be the first airline to test satellite technology on commercial aircraft to supply travelers with Wi-Fi connectivity. Cellular services will not work with the system.
The low-fare carrier is teaming up with Row 44 and has equipped one aircraft with the satellite technology. Three additional aircraft are scheduled to be equipped by early March. The service will be free to passengers during the test period. The use of the technology must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
“Internet connectivity has been high on our list of priorities for quite some time,” Dave Ridley, Southwest SVP of marketing and revenue, said in a statement. “We believe the aircraft-to-satellite technology is the most robust solution in the industry, and we look forward to the feedback from our customers.”
Southwest passengers that board a Wi-Fi enabled aircraft will be greeted with placards and instruction sheets. The airline is also partnering with Yahoo Inc. to provide an in-flight homepage with daily programming of local news and information. The homepage will also include a flight tracker where passengers will be able to follow the plane’s path and view points of interest along the route.
Row 44 CEO John Guidon said in a statement that his company will provide the airline with its high-speed broadband service.
Southwest is the first major domestic airline not to sign up with Aircell L.L.C. The company offers an air-to-ground broadband system that utilizes cell towers. The company owns the spectrum that was previously used by Verizon Communications Inc.’s Airfone division.
American Airlines was the first airline to offer in-flight Internet to its passengers using Aircell’s Gogo network last August. Since then, Aircell has signed contracts with Virgin America, Air Canada, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Aircell is forecasting that 2,000 commercial aircraft will be equipped with Gogo by the end of the year.