Required reading for the connectivity crowd - Row 44 submits FCC application

Movement is afoot on the satellite-based connectivity front. In-flight broadband provider Row 44, which notably secured agreements to trial its system on Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft, has officially applied for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to operate up to 1,000 technically-identical aeronautical-mobile satellite service (AMSS) transmit/receive earth stations (AMES) abroad commercial and private aircraft.

An industry colleague was kind enough to forward the above link to me. Also be sure to check out Row 44's technical description document.

"The AMESs will provide two−way broadband communications services to passengers and flight crews, allowing in−flight access to email, the Internet and virtual private networks," says Row 44's John Guidon in the firm's FCC filing.

"The AMESs will operate in conjunction with a previously licensed VSAT hub station and will use capacity on the Horizons−1 (127 W.L.), AMC−2 (101 W.L.) and AMC−9 (83 W.L.) satellites."

Separately, but not completely unrelated, the WSJ has published an interesting piece on Aircell's air-to-ground Gogo system. Check it out here.