U.S. Finally To Get In-Flight Broadband > Prices

Prices

Those are prices using the Iridium sat network.

This implementation is using terrestrial frequencies.

"This patented airborne technology uses the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) air-to-ground communications frequencies to which AirCell has exclusive rights."

CDMA/EVDO is not exclusive to cell based frequencies owned by Sprint/Alltel/Verizon. They may have implemented the technology for frequencies allocated by the FCC for the old analog Airphone service. (formerly GTE, then Verizon). The infrastructure for Airphone still exists and it may simply being updated for digital service to support this application.

Backhaul depends on which carrier the recv'ng tower resides.

Latency will be driven by how well the new digital network can switch an IP group from tower to tower at 35k feet moving 500mph.

I would only be worried about performance when (2) widebodies (ie: 777, A340) come within a few miles of each other. If 30-50 people are active and logged in on each plane, the switch would have to either take on both trunks to both planes or attempt to switch one of them to a more distant tower to accomodate. Either way, someone will lose.