Cheree Heppe here:
The below article seems to imply a good step forward for laptop and note taker
users. What steps, if any, is Humanware and other note taker manufacturers
taking to allow Braille aware note taker access?
Regards,
Cheree Heppe
Southwest and American Test In-Flight Wi-Fi
By MATT HAMBLEN, [3]Computerworld, IDG
Mile-high Wi-Fi is taking off.
[4]Southwest Airlines and American Airlines separately announced this
week that their planes will be tested for in-flight passenger Wi-Fi
data access using different access technologies.
Southwest announced Wednesday that it will test satellite-delivered
broadband Internet access on four aircraft this summer, the airline
said in a statement.
Southwest passengers with Wi-Fi-enabled devices would have Internet
access for e-mail and Web browsing after the tests and subject to
approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The technology to be used aboard Southwest planes is from Row 44 Inc.
in Westlake Village, Calif. In addition to data, it will support cell
phone and voice-over-IP calls.
But "Southwest has not embraced voice calling" because of passengers'
concerns about cell phone calls made during flights, spokeswoman
[5]Brandy King said in an interview. "Voice is not a direction we're
taking."
On Tuesday American Airlines said it had finished the first aircraft
installation of an Internet broadband connection aboard a [6]Boeing
767-200 aircraft and will install and test the technology on all 15
such aircraft throughout the year. The 767-200s are used primarily for
transcontinental flights.
Both airlines need certifications from the FAA before launching an
actual service. American is using technology from Aircell LLC in
Itasca, Ill.
Passengers on American aircraft will get full data service, but will
not receive cell or VoIP service.
Aircell provides an air-to-ground system that uses three lightweight
antennas installed on the outside of the aircraft, one GPS antenna
mounted on top of the plane and the other two on the bottom. Wireless
access points are distributed throughout the aircraft interior's
ceiling. Each American aircraft will be connected to a network of 92
cell towers in the continental U.S. using a 3Mhz signal, the airline
said.
The satellite-delivered system for Southwest's planes from Row 44
involves installation of an antenna atop each plane's fuselage that
communicates with satellite networks, according to the company's Web
site.
Aircell announced plans in September to equip Virgin America planes
with Wi-Fi access this year. [7]JetBlue Airways, [8]Deutsche Lufthansa
AG and Qantas Airways Ltd. have also announced in-flight Wi-Fi in
various forms.
Copyright 2008 IDG News Service. All Rights Reserved.
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