Air NZ holding off on airplane internet access

Boeing subsidiary Connexion used a converted 737 to develop in-flight broadband internet access on passengers' laptops.

Air New Zealand's new planes may come with lie-flat leather seats and advanced in-flight entertainment, but anyone wanting broadband internet at 30,000 feet may have to wait until a rival upgrades.

The airline has embarked on a complete overhaul of its long-haul services, with seven of its eight Boeing 747-400s refitted with new interiors and in-flight entertainment.

The first of eight new Boeing 777-200ER is due to arrive in September this year.

But Air New Zealand has not asked Boeing to fit its new planes with the antennae needed for in-flight broadband internet access.

David Friedman, vice-president of marketing and direct sales for Connexion by Boeing, said that although the service was not at present being offered by airlines in the "lower half of the globe", that was not due to a shortage of satellites.

If an airline in this part of the world wanted to start offering in-flight internet, Connexion - a subsidiary of Boeing - would help to set up the network of satellites required.

Capacity was leased from the companies that operated the satellites, Friedman said. "So expanding the service is not difficult at all - it's actually pretty easy.

"There's enough satellites around the world to enable Connexion by Boeing to be able to work with the satellite service provider to get capacity - it's not a problem.

"We can provide capacity regardless of where the airline is located. Today we don't serve the lower half of the globe, but it's in our plans to do that in the near future."

More than 100 flights a day around the world use Connexion, with the equipment installed in 64 aircraft.

"If we know the airline wants to provide service in those areas and we have a commitment from the airline to do so, it certainly helps our planning and the economics of our business."

Friedman said expansion of its services would be likely to come from an existing Connexion airline starting to use it on routes in this part of the world.

"That would be part of it. I would rather see Air NZ and Qantas and other airlines taking advantage of that service. Eventually we believe most of the airlines will have that service; it's just a matter of time."

Friedman said Connexion was talking to several airlines in this part of the globe and while "it looked promising", he could not give a time frame for the service becoming available here.

"I would love to be able to provide service to Air NZ and Qantas, among others."

Air NZ says its new in-flight entertainment system will be compatible with many of the future technological advances expected from companies such as Connexion.

The airline is also likely to want to be assured of technical performance on its remote flight paths before embarking on a "user-pays" system such as Connexion internet access.

Boeing is willing to install the Connexion equipment on rival Airbus aircraft and can install it in the factory on new planes, or (more expensively) retro-fit it into older planes.

Singapore Airlines, which flies 12 times a week into Auckland and seven times a week into Christchurch, is progressively rolling out broadband internet access on its flights.

From next month, it will provide access to live television channels on its planes. The service, which can be seen on passengers' laptops, includes BBC World, Euronews, Eurosportsnews and CNBC or MSNBC.

It will initially be available only on Singapore-to-London services. Eventually the live television will be broadcast on passengers' screens, removing the need to bring along a laptop.

Friedman said the future of in-flight broadband would include voice over internet protocol telephony, SMS messaging and the ability to use "Blackberry" devices.

The system is managed by Connexion from ground stations, so that aircraft can move between areas of satellite coverage while still providing continuous access.

Each plane has an antenna to receive the signal, with software that ensures it is not lost when the plane moves into a different satellite area.

What, when, how

* Connexion by Boeing, a subsidiary of the US planemaker, operates in-flight broadband services.
* Planes with a special antenna are provided with broadband via satellite connections.
* Air NZ has decided not to order the Connexion equipment in its new Boeing 777 planes, the first of which arrives in September.
* It says its new in-flight entertainment system is compatible, so future installation will be possible.
* Singapore Airlines is next month unveiling its in-flight, live television services, operated through Connexion.
* Connexion acts as the internet service provider, billing passengers for their time online.
* Internet-based telephony services, SMS and cellular communications are also being developed through the service.