LOUISVILLE, Colo.-AirCell said it will begin conducting flight demonstrations in July with a prototype of its system that allows commercial airline passengers to use their own mobile devices in flight over a broadband air-to-ground link.
AirCell expects to commercially deploy its AirCell Broadband System next year, and said the summer demonstrations will mark a major milestone in the company’s development program. The system provides a dedicated terrestrial broadband air-to-ground link, which the company said provides a lower-cost alternative to currently available satellite options.
The demonstration will use a small number of ground cellular sites that will be temporarily outfitted with antennas and electronics for the demonstration. The system also will use an Iridium satellite link to extend coverage, a cabin picocell that will allow passengers to make calls from their own wireless phone, and a cabin telecommunications router that provides wireless connectivity for Wi-Fi-equipped laptops and personal digital assistants.
AirCell said the system provides speeds on average of 300 to 500 Kbps, with peak speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps.
The company is operating under an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission.
