January 2011 Archives

If you're among the industry execs who took a ride on 26 January on a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) fitted with Panasonic Avionics' Ku-band satellite-based in-flight broadband Internet system, then you already know that the carrier's IPTV service, dubbed eXTV, is working like a charm.

One of the happy passengers tells me that Slingbox, Netflix and Skype were tested on multiple devices and worked really well. That doesn't mean that 150 passengers on one aircraft can simultaneously do those things (no sir-e Bob!) but nonetheless, it was a pretty impressive show.

So what does Panasonic have to say for itself? The firm says its so-called eXConnect in-flight connectivity service successfully delivered a live television feed to the BBJ on 26 January, and that it "successfully tested and demonstrated" that its system can support Slingbox, Netflix and Skype.

These specific applications technically aren't part of the firm's eXTV service (which runs over eXConnect), however, and most will be disallowed based on airline preference, regulatory requirements (groan), or for pure network management purposes (i.e. it's no different than any of the other in-flight connectivity services).

A number of carriers, including Cathay Pacific and its Dragonair subsidiary, have signed up for eXTV. So what can passengers expect once on board?

Well, when Panasonic talks about eXTV, it is talking about very specific live television channels such as Japan's NHK World Premium and IMG Worldwide's Barclays Premier League Content.  

I think you can sum up some of the demand for in-flight IPTV with two words - sports, sports and news (okay, that's three). Indeed, Lufthansa has said it wants to show German soccer to its passengers and Virgin Atlantic's Richard Branson has said he hopes Virgin will offer live coverage of the World Cup in 2014.

Panasonic bills eXTV as offering "the only global solution to address the bandwidth and licensing rights constraints that have traditionally hindered in-flight television services".

In other words - here comes international in-flight television!

"We are very excited by the results of our first eXTV test flight because it clearly proves the concept and demonstrates the robust performance of our TV solution," says Panasonic Avionics vice-president, global communications suite David Bruner. "Not only can we deliver a quality, live television feed, but we can do it using the same antenna and using the same network as our global eXConnect service."

The BBJ is fitted with a new EMS antenna (not the older MELCO antennas on 69 Lufthansa aircraft).

(Photo above - which was snapped way back in 2005 - can be found at jsmjr's Flickr photo stream.)

Bombardier's CRJ programme chief Jean-Guy Blondin takes us inside the brand new 100-seat Bombardier CRJ1000 (deliveries only began last month).

My video, shot this week at Bombardier's Mirabel production facility, will show you Brit Air's CRJ1000 cabin, the cockpit and even the new bigger toilet! And it includes lots of info about Bombardier's in-flight connectivity and EFB plans (but of course).

For a company that has said it will base its TopSeries next-generation in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) system on the Android operating platform, Thales chief engineer Ken Brady speaks in glowing terms about the Apple iPad, and admits the firm is looking at how it can springboard off of it.

Interviewed for Steve Harvey's always-interesting The PME Interview, Brady reveals:

"The iPad is going to, I believe, have an awful lot of influence on how IFE actually proceeds. It's the first carry-on device, which is effectively an entertainment equivalent to what we're providing in the [IFEC] system, so at one point is a bit of a competitor.

"But it also is an environment which is providing rich development, a lot of applications being developed, and I think if we can leverage how those work, how those look, how those feel on our system, it is going to give us a real direction in this application enhancement, application development arena. It's a busy, busy world and I think we can leverage off of it."

Busy indeed! The iPad is even finding its way into the flight deck! So is Thales rethinking Android? That's not entirely clear. But Brady is watching closely to see how the upcoming OS wars play out - iPhone, Android, the Linux world, he tells Harvey.

Also during the interview Brady reiterates Thales' stance on 3D for in-flight entertainment, saying it is "not quite ready for prime time", and cites continuing questions over the current business case for in-flight connectivity.

Now then, speaking of connectivity, the recent in-flight tweet-up of travel writers on Oman Air turned out to be a tweet let-down for a number of reasons, including, I'm told, the fact that at least half of the British Guild of Travel Writers don't own a Twitter account (a tad shocking, this...though less so after checking out the guild's web site...iPad what?) and many of those who do have Twitter accounts appear to have gotten sticker shock at the cost of the Wi-Fi. More later!

(Photo above from r_Racer's Flicker photo stream)

A bunch of travel writers plan to put Oman Air's in-flight Wi-Fi to the test today when they take part in what could very well be the first, fully-organized in-flight tweet-up (of travel writers, at least).

Follow all the action at the hashtag #bgtw2oman (or check back to this page).

Also be sure to scroll down further for a video of Oman Air spokesman Matt Grainger discussing what the carrier's s Wi-Fi (provided by OnAir) is capable of doing (including uploading video in-flight, he says...it starts at minute 1:41) Screengrab above from @alastairmck , who has already made quite a few interesting observations.

"As a long term Verizon customer, I was glad to hear the iPhone was coming. However since I travel worldwide I called Verizon support to find out exactly what the issues would be internationally. The support person confirmed that the iPhone will not support GSM. Ouch! This means that I will have to wait for a newer version of the iPhone as there is no getting around that without GSM, you can't use it most countries"...Comment from Tim on EverythingiCafe

I feel Tim's pain. As a long-disgruntled AT&T customer (AT&T could try the patience of a saint), I too waited with bated breath for Verizon to finally reach agreement with Apple for the iPhone. And I too was disappointed to learn that the initial Verizon iPhone is not at the very least a hybrid CDMA/GSM solution. It only supports CDMA, the dominant network standard for North America and parts of Asia, but not GSM-happy Europe, and certainly not in-flight mobile connectivity currently on offer.

Go to minute 2:10 of the following video for a clear explanation (nice scarf):



AeroMobile and OnAir, the two main providers of in-flight mobile connectivity, emulate local GSM networks inside aircraft. As such, travelers with Verizon CDMA iPhones will not be able to use mobile connectivity on aircraft operated by a growing number of international carriers (in addition to a raft of other places).

I know the issue of in-flight mobile connectivity in the United States is thorny (see MSNBC's "Shut Up and Fly" piece, where yours truly is quoted). However, it was none other than Qualcomm and American Airlines that laid the groundwork for in-flight voice communications using commercially available CDMA cell phones way back in 2004 (at a time when it appeared the USA was actually going to act sensibly about mobile connectivity, and drop the long-standing ban). Don't believe me? See my ATI article below from 15 July 2004.

Key par:

He [an American spokesman] says American is "interested in anything that could provide cell phones, text messaging, or the Internet or anything that could provide entertainment", but notes the airline is "not tied to Qualcomm", one of several companies seeking to facilitate cellular phone use inflight.

Meanwhile, as I lament Verizon's CDMA-based iPhone, I can comfort myself with the knowledge that the next iPhone 5 might support both CDMA and GSM, thanks to a dual mode Qualcomm chipset (naturally).

American tests Qualcomm's inflight cellular technology
Mary Kirby, Washington DC (15Jul04, 21:45 GMT, 239 words)
 
American Airlines today conducted an airborne demonstration of technology that allows inflight use of mobile cellular telephones.
The carrier tested Qualcomm's mobile phone technology onboard a Boeing MD-80 circling over Dallas, Texas.
Qualcomm used an in-cabin third generation pico cell installed on the aircraft to facilitate the test. Pico cell technology is one widely proposed path for ensuring there is no interference from mobile phones with onboard avionics.
An American spokesman says that during the "proof of concept flight", government representatives and media successfully made air-to-ground calls using a standard CDMA mobile phone.
American is keen to offer passengers the ability to use their own cellular telephones and two-way pagers inflight. "We want to be close to the leading edge of this technology...because we think this is something that is important to our customers," says the spokesman.
He says American is "interested in anything that could provide cell phones, text messaging, or the Internet or anything that could provide entertainment", but notes the airline is "not tied to Qualcomm", one of several companies seeking to facilitate cellular phone use inflight.
Looking forward, American believes that passengers will be able to use their cellular phones during flight in about two years, once regulatory issues are ironed out.
Current federal regulations and airline require cellular phones to be turned off while the aircraft is airborne, in large part due to concerns that they would interfere with aircraft communication and navigation systems.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

Say what you will about the delayed Boeing 787 programme the airliner's interior is inspiring. So much so, in fact, that Boeing used the same passenger satisfaction approach to develop its new NextGen 737 Boeing Sky Interior.

As previously reported, FlyDubai was among the five launch customers that took delivery of 737s with the Boeing Sky Interior late last year.

Boeing now reports that some 60 airlines and leasing companies have ordered the new interior on 1,689 aircraft.

Firms that have announced their orders include: Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, American Airlines, FlyDubai, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Malaysia Airlines, TUI Travel , GOL Airlines, Lion Air, Air Berlin, COPA Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Luxair Luxembourg Airlines, Russian Technologies, and Tokyo's Skymark Airlines.

Boeing will take the opportunity to explain its approach to passenger comfort during a special media event in early February. In the interim, I think this TUIfly flight attendant does a bang up job of breaking down some of the best features of the new Boeing Sky Interior.

Is it just me or does this gal seem rather underwhelmed? 

On the chance you don't catch it on Flightglobal's IFEC channel, here is a link to an Airline Business chart that details year-end figures for in-flight connectivity equipage worldwide. Many thanks to all the firms that participated - AeroMobile, Aircell, OnAir, Panasonic Avionics and Row 44.

I have no doubt that 2011 will be a busy year for everyone. For starters, SAS is poised to announce its provider for in-flight mobile and Internet connectivity. Multiple sources tell RWG that the former Connexion by Boeing customer has opted for Panasonic's eXConnect solution. 

Mentor Graphics has taken to YouTube to, among other things, showcase how it can create a funky IFE GUI using its so-called Inflexion UI on the Android operating system. Now where have I seen and heard about this before?

Tonight I'm working on a story about Toronto-based Star Navigation Systems Group's new in-flight safety monitoring system (ISMS) with GPS tracking software, which is being billed as the perfect counterpart to traditional black boxes, particularly in the aftermath of the 1 June 2009 fatal loss of an Air France Airbus A330 (investigators never found the black boxes). It looks like these lads are onto something.

Last week Row 44 announced it has received approval from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate over the Atlantic, and laid claim to the distinction of being "the only provider allowed to operate and charge for in-flight broadband connectivity on transatlantic flights".

If I may borrow a catchphrase from the late Gary Coleman's Diff'rent Strokes days: "What you talking about, Willis?"

How can Row 44 make this assertion when Lufthansa's FlyNet Ku-band in-flight Internet service - supported by Panasonic Avionics and T-Mobile - was formally re-launched on 1 December, is installed on 12 aircraft, will go live on an additional four aircraft in the next few weeks, and will cost passengers money from 1 February?

I tapped Row 44's new chief commercial officer Howard Lefkowitz for some answers and, much to my surprise, he was willing to talk to me (quite the departure from Row 44's curb-side snub of RWG in July 2009...damn, time flies).
 
Says Lefkowitz:

"We are now duly authorized by the federal government pursuant to a particular authorization to provide this service and to charge for it. It is not provisional. It is a completed FCC document with authorization [for the T11N North Atlantic Oceanic Coverage Ku satellite]. Whether [Panasonic's] provisional activity calls for them to be able to charge, I can't tell you. Whether their provisional thing can be taken away, whether they'll get a final version, I can't tell you. I don't know the answer. I know that they are provisional today. I know that in general there is a lot of noise out there, and people say things and make promises the way they are not portrayed. The statement we made, as far as I know, is accurate. We are the only ones at this stage that have the official authority of the governing body to do this. It doesn't mean that they can't or that they won't. It means that today [Panasonic is] provisional, and they [Lufthansa] are not charging for it [in-flight Internet]."

I'm sure Lefkowitz will forgive me for pointing out the obvious - that Row 44's press statement rather conveniently fails to mention that Panasonic has the authority, albeit provisional at present, to charge for in-flight Internet on the North Atlantic route covered by the T11N satellite footprint.

Referencing its authority to conduct market studies of in-flight Internet in US airspace on Lufthansa aircraft, including its ability to charge for said service, a Panasonic spokesman says:

"Lufthansa is currently providing free service under this authority, and intends to initiate revenue service shortly. Panasonic has consulted with the FCC staff to confirm that initial revenue service, in which we will study traffic volumes, network loading and related data at chosen price points, is permitted under our existing authority during the pendency of [Panasonic's] commercial license application."

So what does that mean? It means that Panasonic was able to charge for the in-flight Internet service before Lufthansa's 30 November press flight, could start charging for the service today, and intends to be able to charge for the service in the foreseeable future, according to the firm.

Lufthansa, meanwhile, says it will begin charging for FlyNet on 1 February.

A Lufthansa spokeswoman tells RWG:

"The service is currently being offered on a complimentary basis during this introductory period because Lufthansa wants to give its customers the opportunity to become familiar with the service free-of-charge. Simultaneously, we continue to further equip our long-haul fleet with FlyNet in order to be able to offer a high availability after the initial introduction period."

Suffice it to say that the row between Row 44 and Panasonic - which has been playing out in FCC filings, as first highlighted here - has escalated. I also think it's fair to say that Row 44 intends to make life as difficult as possible for Panasonic at the FCC (perhaps even as difficult as ViaSat made things for Row 44 when the latter firm was seeking FCC authority).

But what about ViaSat, which provides Ku-band satellite-based in-flight connectivity to business aircraft operators (and which is working a Ka-band deal with JetBlue)? What does ViaSat think of Row 44's claim about being the only provider able to charge for in-flight broadband over the Atlantic?

Says ViaSat director of regulatory affairs Daryl Hunter:

"We see marketing claims like this all the time, "we're the first", "we're the fastest", or variations of that theme. But in a number of cases, we know that as a minimum, we had already had an experimental or commercial license to do the same thing already, and so there's a chance that others may have as well.

"We've been providing transatlantic service for several years, either directly ourselves or via ARINC's SKYLink service, which was developed and operated by ViaSat. (T11N is one of the points of communication we are authorized to use.)

"To top it all off, once your feet [are] wet and outside US jurisdictional waters and associated interference region, you don't need a FCC license anyway, so for that matter, Panasonic could operate service on transatlantic flights once outside US jurisdiction too even though they don't yet have a FCC license."

Is it too early to be looking forward to the Aircraft Interiors Expo on 5-8 April in Hamburg? Check out some of the action from last year's big show!

AIX Hamburg Exhibitor from aix_hamburg on Vimeo.

"United is the only major airline without WiFi. United for WiFi is a grassroots effort aimed at bringing inflight internet to United Airlines. We run the gamut from business professionals to casual flyers and we need our internet 10,000 feet up!"

So says the new FaceBook campaign aimed at convincing United to go fleet-wide with in-flight WiFi. Granted, United is NOT the only major without WiFi, but we like the premise nonetheless. Hey, the campaign to get Betty White on Saturday Night Live was a success, so....check it!

What does 2011 hold for in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC)? That's not the easiest question to answer. After all, technology is moving SO fast, and a host of new players are entering the field.

I decided to put the query to industry expert Jonathan Norris, who holds the title of vice-president cabin design office at Airbus, and chairs the technology committee at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

Here is Jon's forecast for the year. It represents his own personal predictions, and not those of his employer or APEX.

1) More airlines will elect to move away from 'traditional' centralized head-end server IFE systems to lower weight, lower cost, simplified architecture systems which have eliminated (or significantly optimised) head-end servers in favour of seat-centric 'smart' screens with local content data storage and processing. Examples of these types of systems include (but are not limited to) 1) Zodiac's SiT system that recently began flying on Royal Jordanian's A340s, 2) Lumexis FTTS that recently began flying on flydubai's B737-800s and 3) IMS's RAVE system which SriLankan Airlines has recently ordered for installation on its A330s and A340s.

2) A 'new-comer' (not necessarily one of the three named above) will enter the 'arena' taking-on the current long range (twin-aisle) aircraft IFE duopoly and win a 'significant' airline order comprising both linefit and retrofit installations. This 'new-comer' will also aggressively challenge the short range (single-aisle) market. I think it is inevitable that there will be some consolidation within the supply chain as the incumbents ensure that their product range remains competitive.

3) In the short range (single-aisle) market I believe we will see a steady move away from overhead 'drop-down' video to individual seat-centric screens as passengers become increasingly used to having individual screens, i.e. the myriad of personal electronic devices available to passengers today (smart phones, tablet PCs etc), highly integrated economy seats, HD quality content and as airlines continue to reinforce their brand to compete with other market offerings.

4) Whilst many airlines will continue to 'explore' the use of portable IFE devices (be they purpose built or re-purposed COTS devices such as iPads, Sony Play Stations etc) I believe that the challenges of 1) getting studio approval to host early window content and 2) the logistics of battery and content management and 3) the competition from the new breed of 'seat-centric' simplified IFE systems will keep these devices in a 'niche market' position and restrict their market penetration.

5) More airlines will realise the necessity of offering in flight connectivity to their passengers as it becomes a 'must-have' to compete in this über-connected world - much as IFE became a 'must-have' 10 to 15 years ago. The various charging models for in-flight connectivity will also evolve during 2011 as airlines seek to balance potential ancillary revenues with potential operational cost reductions that a connected aircraft can bring. For the late-adopters of connectivity, airlines will have the significant benefit in 2011 of being able to try-out many of the connectivity technologies being offered on the market today: AeroMobile, AirCell, Iridium, OnAir, Panasonic eXConnect / eXPhone, Row44 and draw their own conclusions on system performance versus promises.

6) 3D IFE is not going to realise any significant market penetration in aircraft cabins - it's at the top of the hype curve today (see Gartner's 2010 Emerging Technologies Hype Cycle below), whereas HD will become de-facto.

A report today that JetBlue and LiveTV are in serious negotiations over a LiveTV spin-off is.................false, false and false, according to JetBlue.

The New York-hubbed airline says it is not selling LiveTV.

Indeed, perhaps more than ever, LiveTV is firmly ensconced in JetBlue's family because the Melbourne, Florida-based subsidiary is the center-point for making Ka-band satellite-based in-flight connectivity happen on the carrier's fleet (LiveTV will manage the integration of ViaSat's broadband and related components on board the aircraft!).

Showing an immense amount of goodwill after I harassed her for days on the separate issue of whether JetBlue has inked a definitive agreement with ViaSat (not yet, but they're working on it), a JetBlue spokeswoman tells RWG:

As we have previously stated, JetBlue remains committed to maintaining LiveTV as a strategic asset and an important part of JetBlue. We believe LiveTV continues to offer best-in-class products and we expect them to remain central to our plans in creating the next generation of the on-board experience in conjunction with our business partner, ViaSat.  

We would refer you to comments made by Dave Barger on our 2Q10 earnings call, when asked about LiveTV:

...Just to be transparent, we look at LiveTV wholly-owned subsidiary [as] something that is very, very important to JetBlue and core to us as we go forward. I think when we were open about opportunities [in 2008], what makes sense in the marketplace with LiveTV, keep in mind that the times were a little bit different two years ago as oil was running, the economy was on its heels, etc. So I think that wholly-owned subsidiary that we want to maximize if you will to JetBlue's benefit at this point in time. And [we're] not in the marketplace in terms of looking for opportunities to sell a subsidiary.

He goes on further to say:

I think with regard to wireless as well...we're pretty pleased that, we're a follower, if you will, with wireless. Now the brand - the heritage of JetBlue has been in-flight entertainment since day one, and I think we are second to none with 140 channels of in-flight entertainment, TV as well as satellite as well as first run movies. And I'm saying that mainly because we believe that the, the small amount of customers who are willing to purchase the products that are available on the marketplace today, and also with the, the identity of those products as separate from the airline, is distinctly different than something that we want to pursue. And oh, by the way our route network is pretty significantly offshore these days into the Caribbean and Latin America as well. So the ability to touch that route system with that new technology, that's really how we're looking at really WiFi and how we can utilize LiveTVs expertise to our benefit into the future.

United Airlines' decision to install Row 44's Ku-band satellite-based in-flight connectivity system on its Boeing 757 testbed aircraft even as it offers Aircell's Gogo air-to-ground (ATG) service on over a dozen 757s has prompted many an industry buff to weigh in...privately, as they are apt to do.

One unnamed, untamed cookie, who clearly favors Aircell's strategy, opines:

"I don't see it as a threat. It's a one off and a red herring. The aircraft, N593UA, was reported to be out of service for well over a month for installation. Designing [Gogo] to install on an overnight versus four to six weeks should be the clincher there. A baseball manager told his GM to get good free agents because 'you can't win the Kentucky Derby with donkeys'!"

I am certain that Row 44 - which is fitting Southwest Airlines' entire fleet with its system - would disagree.

But what say Aircell? Company executive vice president and chief marketing officer Ash ElDifrawi recently told RWG:

"I have absolutely no concerns about our product holding up to that. In fact - let United get a look at it [Row 44]. We're on 13 United planes. They are one of our strongest performing airline partners on those planes. So I think from that perspective, if United wants to make sure they have the best product for the consumers, and want to feel good about what is a real [service], they are taking a very holistic approach, which is smart, and I'm very confident that ours will more than meet the consumers' needs."

So now we wait, or as the Wikipedia entry on Row 44 states: "It remains to be seen which provider United will chose in the long term."

(Funky photo above from Hryck's Flickr photo stream)

As the mother of a little one I'm always grateful when an airline goes the extra mile to make life a little easier for parents and the ride a little more enjoyable for children.

Take Air New Zealand, for example. The carrier recently introduced new products and services, including the much-discussed Skycouch, on its new Boeing 777-300ER.  But it didn't forget the kiddos.

Cranky Flier checked out Air New Zealand's new kid-friendly IFE content (no, it's got nothing to do with Rico, thank goodness) and other cool stuff for kids during a recent tour of the 777. Panasonic provides the IFE hardware to Air New Zealand.