How does In-Flight WiFi work
Indian authorities have given a green light to the use of data and voice services on flights over the country’s airspace.
Mobile communication is complex than Radio and Walkie-Talkies as they are simplex devices i.e. one way communication at a time
but mobile phones are duplex devices that support two way simultaneous communication, it was not allowed In-Flight because it could cause some interference with the Flight’s communication, but as the technology is improving and tested we may soon see IFC (In-Flight connectivity) in India.
Types of In-Flight WiFi
ATG (Air To Ground)
This system is made for domestic flights, it uses two antennas present on the belly of Airplane that receive and send signals to cellphone towers present on the ground.
Currently ATG system supports about 3 Mbps speed approximately suitable for casual mails and Facebook, new ATG-4 system supports up to 10 Mbps speed, but it is not implemented widely.
Disadvantages :
► Low speed
► No connectivity on large water bodies like Sea
► Altitude support about 30,000 Feet (satellite wifi can work with the physical limits of an airplane’s highest Altitude)
► Frequent switch between the towers
Satellite based IFC
This system is preferable for long distance over the sea flights, it uses dome shaped antenna placed on top of the plane as the signal is received from the satellites.
there are several different satellite internet providers and the speed depends on satellite’s technology and provider ranging from 60 Mbps for a flight to 12 Mbps for each device in the flight which can also support heavy streaming on websites like Netflix.
Disadvantages :
► Costly
Some points about IFC
► IFC might or might not be free for the users depending on ticket type and it could cost 200–300 Rupees if availed separately.
► ATG could be most suitable for indian airspace IFC as it aims only domestic flight and also the technology is cheaper.
► This implementation might take some time to roll-out in india as it will need placing equipment both inside and outside the airplanes.
► Voice call or VoIP may cause public nuisance as many passengers will keep on chatting over the call during the whole journey.
► Now people with corporate jobs may not get peace even on flights from calls and work.
► ATG and satellite based WiFi that support one tower or satellite at a time may make user to experience short “hiccups”.
► An aircraft’s interior WiFi equipment is actually capable of far greater speeds than the exterior antennas are capable of receiving they are similar to home WiFi routers but they cost 10 times more and break 10 times more easily.
► Most of the airlines keep the WiFi throttled in such a way that each user on the flight gets the equal bandwidth share irrespective of one user wanting to watch a video and another reading email, this could be disadvantageous for heavy users.
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