How Does In-Flight Wi-Fi Really Work?

How Does In-Flight Wi-Fi Really Work?

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page . Wi-Fi access has become an expected feature when flying for either work or pleasure. Using Melanie Wynne's The Future of Inflight High-Speed Wi-Fi as a launching pad, new TPG Contributor Rick Mitacek, operations manager of an avionics modification team, takes a closer look at the technical side of Wi-Fi in the sky. (All photos by the author, unless otherwise specified.) Prior to the integration of in-flight Wi-Fi, most airline passengers passed their time at 30,000 feet completely disconnected from the world below them — but these days, that's a highly uncommon occurrence. For instance, while writing this article on a short-haul United flight with broken Wi-Fi, I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I'd been rendered email-less for even a couple of hours.

Read full article from How Does In-Flight Wi-Fi Really Work?