I thought we had gotten past the point where all Wi-Fi business models seemed doomed, but I find it odd that Boeing did not have more success with Connexion, its technology for delivering Wi-Fi in-flight. In particular, no US airline signed up for the service, which has reportedly lost a billion dollars in its six years of operation, and so may be grounded. I thought I had long ago won an argument with a former colleague about the availability of Internet access in planes, but perhaps he will have the last laugh.
One would think that a more creative approach to the service could have used it as a business class perk or frequent-flyer reward, allowing the proletariat in coach to purchase it a la carte. Well, at least being on a plane provides a closeup view of a cloud’s silver lining, and expected relaxation of clell phone usage on planes could open up the market for at least selective high-speed data. Hmmm, 3G clobbering Wi-Fi; maybe things aren’t so different at 30,000 feet.