Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26723 posts, RR: 83 Reply 1, posted (6 years 5 months ago) and read 2007 times:
Panasonic is rumored to have a system in development that can use the Connexion hardware (with a new control module, I believe), which would make retrofitting relatively inexpensive.
SNATH From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 3232 posts, RR: 24 Reply 2, posted (6 years 5 months ago) and read 1985 times:
Quoting Stitch (Reply 1): Panasonic is rumored to have a system in development that can use the Connexion hardware (with a new control module, I believe), which would make retrofitting relatively inexpensive.
If this works out, it will make LH very happy!
Tony
[Edited 2006-12-28 00:50:26]
Nikon: we don't want more pixels, we want better pixels.
BoomBoom From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (6 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1951 times:
Quote: Panasonic Avionics Corp., based in Bothell, in Boeing's commercial jetliner backyard, could soon pick up the Internet-in-the-sky baton that Boeing dropped with Connexion.
The company hopes by mid-December to have secured airline commitments to equip up to 500 jetliners with a satellite-based Internet service that will be better and cheaper than Connexion. Some of Boeing's Connexion customers are among those interested.
Panasonic Avionics and its partners have developed better equipment than the older Connexion system. The antenna that fits on top of the jet is smaller and lighter than Boeing's and eventually will be available in different sizes to accommodate smaller single-aisle jets and not just the bigger widebody planes.
The antenna produces much less drag on a plane than Boeing's, Bruner said.
Panasonic Avionics would have a much different business strategy than Boeing. It would sell the necessary equipment to an airline, whereas Boeing owned the Connexion hardware.
Bruner said Panasonic Avionics wants to have commitments from 12 to 15 airlines for about 500 planes before it decides to go forward. So far, it has commitments from about six airlines and 250 planes. But some of those commitments are from U.S. airlines.
FriendlySkies From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 4008 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (6 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1879 times:
Quoting BoomBoom (Reply 3): But some of those commitments are from U.S. airlines.
hmm...wonder who? I'd guess UA was one, weren't they looking into internet access?
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26723 posts, RR: 83 Reply 5, posted (6 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1867 times:
Quoting FriendlySkies (Reply 4): hmm...wonder who? I'd guess UA was one, weren't they looking into internet access?
Yes UA has received FAA certification to install and operate a wireless internet access system on their p.s. 757s.
TinkerBelle From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (6 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1765 times:
Hope they go ahead with it. A trans-pacific flight with no internet can be pretty long. Boeing connexion works great for KE and OZ, I was surprised Boeing decided to discontinue it.
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26723 posts, RR: 83 Reply 8, posted (6 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1671 times:
Quoting TinkerBelle (Reply 7): I was surprised Boeing decided to discontinue it.
Boeing expected the US majors to order it by the hundreds of frames as at the time, the "Tech Boom" was going strong and Boeing hoped folks tooling across the US in narrowbodies would want to stay in touch with "the home office" to finalize those billion dollar deals.
When the Tech Boom went *BOOM* and 9/11 plus SARS chilled business travel, the US airlines all bailed on their commitments to install it, which ripped the guts out of Boeing's forecasts and made the entire program unprofitable to operate for the foreseeable future.
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