Lufthansa Brings Back Internet Over the Oceans

(MoneyWatch)  Some of you may remember Connexion by Boeing. That was a pioneer in the world of global internet service. It offered satellite internet service around the world as long as your airline was willing to plunk a massive, heavy antenna on top of each airplane. Now that technology has improved, Lufthansa is finally bringing it back. You thought that already happened? Nope, it didn't. Let me explain.

Connexion launched onboard in 2003 on Lufthansa, but the market never grew as the company had anticipated. The antenna proved to be very heavy, the costs were too high, and by the end of 2006, Boeing abandoned the project. In the three years that has passed since then, technology has improved dramatically and the interest in having internet onboard has skyrocketed as well since mobile devices have proliferated.

You might think that AirCell already brought this back via GoGo, but that's not true. GoGo is a land-based system so if you're flying over the ocean, you're out of luck. That's why you see it on a lot of domestic airplanes, but it's non-existent on intercontinental flights. Row 44 has a satellite-based product that is faster, cheaper, and lighter, but we haven't seen anyone commit to that for long haul flying either. It's the new Panasonic system that has finally brought it back to the skies.

Why has the Panasonic system succeeded in finding a client? I think it's pretty simple. Lufthansa can use its existing Connexion equipment with this system. Now I have no idea why you'd want to do that since it weighs so much, but I guess that doesn't bother them since they never removed it in the first place. So this is a natural place to start.

New installs will have newer technology that's lighter and more efficient, and I'm sure we'll see Panasonic and Row 44 start signing up more clients for long haul. Now the airlines just need to remember that power ports are very, very important for this to work.