Title: Boeing bows out

Author: 

Date: 31 August 2006 06:16:51 +01:00 or Thu, 31 August 2006 06:16:51 +01:00

Summary: Boeing has announced that it is pulling out of the in-flight broadband business.

Body: I see that Boeing has decided to get out of the in-flight broadband market. I'm not really surprised, the recent hand luggage restrictions must have been the final nail in the coffin for in-flight on-line services.

Over the last six years Boeing is reckoned to have spent something in the region of US$1 billion developing its Connexion in-flight broadband service. Unfortunately for Boeing, not only was the service not taken up by the major transatlantic carriers, it was also very expensive - US$10 for the first hour, or US$27 for 24 hours - making it unattractive to passengers.

What laptop owners really want, assuming they are ever allowed to use their laptops in-flight again, is not so much broad-band Internet access but power for their machines, and this is gradually coming to long haul flights. At the moment it's not available for economy passengers but I suspect that will come in the not too distant future.

Boeing Ditches Connexion

Notes: 

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