We have already talked about the principles of Wi-Fi in terms of transport - on board the aircraft, in the car. The availability of wireless access to the World Wide Web does not surprise the sophisticated user of Internet resources. And if in the case of the presence of an access point to the Network in a car, where the signal level and data transfer rate directly depends on the quality of communication provided by the provider (operator), things leave much to be desired, then in the case of airlines it becomes interesting if the principle of providing such services on board an airliner from similar land transport services.
While the Spanish IT company Via Inteligente has already developed a technological road surface with built-in low-power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signal sources, according to itshaman.ru, which provides free access to the Network to all interested road users (pedestrians and car enthusiasts) in Russia This area of technology is still only beginning to develop. But very active.
In the Russian airspace, there is also the option of providing Internet access via Wi-Fi, which Aeroflot performs together with OnAir on several of its flights. However, in the conditions of the Russian Internet technology market, providing free Internet access via Wi-Fi has no commercial interest for local IT companies, except in self-promotion.
Placing equipment and paying for the daily consumption of Internet traffic by users is obviously an unprofitable event. Therefore, providers do not rush to the forefront of participation in the Internet life of public transport.
Otherwise, things with airliners. After all, the public, using the services of air airlines by those flights on which the Wi-Fi service is provided, is known to belong to a more wealthy material, and therefore ready to pay for such a service. And here the rivalry of providers for the position of partner of the airline looks completely different.
In favor of the foregoing, we give a small example of analytics.
According to the report of the same American provider GoGo, as reported today.mts.com.ua, the main Internet users in the air are the owners of tablets (35%), laptops (33%) and smartphones (32%).
Regarding the distribution of user activity on the basis of gadgets belonging to a mobile platform, it should be noted that 84% is in iOS, while Android devices account for only 16%. Although it is fair to say that back in 2011, these shares were distributed as 96.8% and 3.2% between OS and Android, respectively. Thus, it is clear that quite wealthy users are increasingly becoming owners of Android devices.
Of course, the principle of Wi-Fi on board the aircraft is different from the work of Wi-Fi on other modes of transport. First of all, the main difference is the autonomy of the signal, which is provided by special equipment that is different from routers with 3G / 4G modules, for example, in cars.
Equipment on the plane communicates directly with the satellite, receiving a signal from it, which allows the Wi-Fi signal to work even during the flight over uninhabited parts of the Earth. For example, over the ocean. The signal remains stable and weak. Yes, it is weak.
After all, the data transfer rate at the moment is about 5 megabits per second when receiving information and only 1 megabit per second when transferring data. Thus, according to Aeroflot, the cost of providing wireless Wi-Fi access to the Internet is about $ 2.5 per 1 megabyte of Internet traffic. Judge a lot or a little.
The American Internet provider GoGo has already developed equipment, which is planned to be installed on board the aircraft of Virgin Airlines, as early as 2014, capable of accelerating data transfer rates of up to 60 megabits per second. But this is only in perspective. In the meantime, we have what is.
Undoubtedly, with the current steps of the progress of technology, perhaps, the time is not far off when all the types of communication we need will receive / transmit data directly from satellites and will no longer have to chase in search of a more confident 3G signal. We will follow the developments.
Read the sequel: Wi-Fi Rail
The content of the cycle "Wi-Fi":
Wi-Fi car
Wi-Fi deep water
Wi-Fi Aviation
Wi-Fi rail
The article is based on materials .
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