Aircell courts airliners with Wi-Fi

Aircell L.L.C. has flipped the switch on its wireless network for U.S. airline passengers.
The air-to-ground network links Wi-Fi access points aboard airliners with cell sites, allowing passengers to access the Web in flight. The Louisville, Colo.-based firm said the network was completed in January and has delivered uninterrupted access during a cross-country flight. The service, which Aircell markets as Gogo, will let users surf the Internet and access e-mail. But Gogo will block VoIP calls in accordance with U.S. regulations. American Airlines and Virgin America have signed on as customers; both plan to offer service this year.