Alaska Air The First Airline To Add Wi-Fi Internet Access

Officials at Alaska Air recently announced that they were going to be the first airline to offer wireless internet access to passengers via satellite while in the air.

“Customers have been very vocal on this point,” said Alaska Air Spokeswoman Amanda Tobin Diebielawski. “Customers traveling on business or visiting friends and family want to have access to the Internet on their flights.”

Alaska Air is teaming up with Row 44, a California-based company specializing in broadband Internet for airplanes. Row 44 has plans to lease 3 satellites from Hughes Network System. These satellites should provide enough coverage to go from Alaska to the tip of Mexico.

Currently, they are working on the system and plan to test it on a Boeing 737NG next spring. No word was given on exactly when the wi-fi would be mass marketed, but once in production it will support connectivity from cell phones, laptop computers, PDA's and other mobile devices like Playstation portable. Connection speeds are expected to between 30 - 81 MB per second. Alaska Air might also use this system to distribute in air entertainment such as movies.

This announcement really comes as no surprise, as many passengers want to be able to pass the time in the air with a connection to the internet.. I look for more airlines trying to add internet access as an amenity while flying.