Aircell Executives Provide Insight into Commercial Airline Internet Connectivity Options



Jack Blumenstein, CEO of Aircell (http://www.aircell.com/) and Tom Weigman, Senior Vice President, Wireless Services, discuss competing technologies, Air-To-Ground (cellular) and Satellite, and explain mis-truths, untold facts about connecting in the sky.

Over the past three weeks a great deal of noise has been created by airlines and communications providers about inflight cabin connectivity. Virtually every commercial airline has announced plans to test or consider decisions about inflight connectivity in the year ahead.

While several companies have announced plans to deploy mobile broadband, text-messaging services and/or television communications for passengers while in flight, there are untold stories about the technical and financial viability of each service.

* Can satellite technology reach the incredible claims of 30Mbs speeds to the aircraft, and do so in a cost effective manner for airlines and passengers

* Does satellite technology really provide instant global connectivity for airlines

* Are there other, more viable options to global connectivity inflight

* What is best for aircraft that spend all of their time flying over North America, particularly the U.S.

* Can Air-to-Ground (ATG) cellular based technologies really work as advertised

* Is either technology "battle tested"

* What are the business implications for airlines that chose one technology over the other, particularly when considering next generation performance and technology migration costs

* Are customers really asking for inflight connectivity

* What do international regulations have to do with what passengers will experience inflight

-Are current U.S. regulations (i.e. voice calls inflight) making it more difficult for U.S. carriers to compete overseas

-Do international flyers want voice capabilities inflight, while U.S. passengers don't

Quick Facts

* Trials by Ryanair, QANTAS and Air France were scheduled for 2007 and 2008.

* Jet Blue and Southwest will test inflight satellite TV combined with data communications using a narrow-band, 1Mhz cellular connection that offers limited (Blackberry and Yahoo! email only) and text message capabilities. Southwest has also publicly discussed future broadband tests.

* American Airlines and Virgin America announced agreements with Aircell for inflight mobile broadband connectivity, which provides a 3Mhz mobile broadband connection over the U.S. and several hundred miles out to sea.

Some uncovered facts:

* There have been no substantiated, public tests demonstrating the ability to provide satellite connectivity to inflight aircraft at 30Mbs speeds.

-One provider claims speed-in-the-seat for passengers will top out at 120Kbs.

If you are seeking informed, third-person commentary on in-flight data communications, which technologies are technically and financially viable, how airlines will compete for customers through communications services, please contact us. In addition, Mr. Blumenstein and Mr. Weigman can address the following:

* What in-depth customer surveys say about consumer use of in-flight communications.

* Differences between private business jet communications and commercial airline offerings.

* Technical challenges between competing satellite and cellular (air-to-ground) technologies.

Mr. Blumenstein is President and Chief Executive Officer of Aircell LLC (www.aircell.com). He joined the Aircell Board of Directors in 1997, became Chairman of the Board in 1999 and assumed his current role as CEO in August, 2002. He was President and CEO of Ardis, a joint venture of Motorola and IBM, and has held various senior management positions in product development, sales and marketing for Rolm Corporation and IBM. He is also the co-President of Blumenstein/Thorne Information Partners, L.L.C. and a co-founder of that private equity investment firm. In addition, he is a director of eCollege.com Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc., and ShopperTrak, Inc.

Mr. Weigman is responsible for driving the service design, marketing programs and customer care capabilities for Aircell's new broadband service. His expertise spans the "converging" wireless, broadband, cable and content spaces and builds on a solid base of marketing and consulting in a host of CPG, food and mass-market categories. In ten years at Sprint, he served as Chief Marketing Officer, President of Multimedia and Strategic Services and President of the Consumer Services Group. He initially developed his brand marketing skills at Procter & Gamble, and also managed leading brands at Mars Inc. and Beecham Products (now part of GlaxoSmithKline). Mr. Weigman received a BS in Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA with distinction from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Contact:    

Kim Hamelburg

781-559-0429

khamelburg @ rfbinder.com





Aircell Executives Provide Insight into Commercial Airline Internet Connectivity Options