Internet in the Air: How Wi-Fi Works on Airplanes

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Flying is more efficient and has more advantages compared to driving or traveling by train. On the other hand, a problem is the use of the Internet, and companies have worked on solving it, and some companies have quickly found the solution.

The Internet has become an indispensable element because we live in the era of speed. With a simple touch of the screen you can pay bills, buy a plane ticket or simply order something to eat. It has also become so important for airlines that have chosen to invest in the technology of the future so that passengers can enjoy internet access throughout the flight.

Airlines have pushed hard to ensure that passengers can enjoy the highest speed internet, and in some places they have succeeded. thanks to advanced technology, nowadays you don't have to worry about getting bored during the flight because there are intelligent systems through which the internet reaches regardless of the height at which the plane is. Admittedly, it doesn't compare to high-speed internet installed at home, but it's enough to watch your favorite movie, play at an online casino like the slotv casino or simply surf the internet.

How the internet works on the plane

If you haven't flown recently, know that things have evolved considerably and airlines have responded promptly to passenger demands. As a result, thanks to the ATG, Ku-Band and Ka-Band systems, the signal can be captured on the Internet and in aircraft.

In the ATG system it is about two antennas placed above or below the plane, with the purpose of capturing the signal of the ground stations and then sending it to a server that is installed on board the plane. In turn, the server is connected to a WiFi router, which allows passengers to connect to the Internet through the router. The ATG system is often used for short distance races, and the Internet connection has a speed of 10Mb/s at most.

A really successful system is Ku-Band. Located in the upper part of the aircraft, it is based on communication between the 11,7-12,7 GHz and 14-14,5 GHz frequency bands. The speed is much higher and sometimes reaches 50 Mb/s, and the captured signal comes from those satellites around the Earth.

Relatively similar to the Ku Band system, in Ka Band the frequencies are 18,3-18,8 and 19,7-20,2 Ghz. With a higher bandwidth, the Ka Band system also involves a much higher investment for those companies that want to deploy it on aircraft.

Is the internet free on the plane?

With the installation of equipment that allows passengers to access the Internet via wi-fi connection, some companies have introduced packages specially designed for this purpose. Thus, if one wants to use the Internet exclusively for watching movies, then passengers have to pay more than if they use the Internet for simple browsing. Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, KLM, Finnair, Austrian Airlines, Easy Jet, British Airways, Aegean Airlines, Qatar Airlines are companies that already offer in-flight internet.

However, do not confuse using the Internet through the company's systems with the Internet on your mobile device. Passengers are known to be prohibited from connecting to the mobile network via smart mobile devices. The main reason to use airplane mode is that internet-connected mobile devices interfere with the navigation systems that airplanes have.

Advanced technology now allows passengers to stay online while crossing continents. Browsing can only be done on the devices built into the aircraft as the phones will run in airplane mode as it used to do in the past as well as nowadays.

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