An update on in-flight internet

It is still coming.

I think that the latest press release is just that, with very little substance, but it is still good to see that things continue to move in the right direction. Aircell, one of the two main competitors in the in-flight internet space, has suggested that they will be offering service on American Airlines Boeing 767s "this spring" for their flights between New York and LA/San Francisco. Other carriers will be following close behind, most notably Virgin America.

Aircell also announced pricing for the plan, at $13 for long flights and $10 for flights shorter than three hours. They may have a special deal for iPhone users, and they're looking to partner with Boingo and all the other WiFi hotspot providers, so if you've already got an access package for that you may be able to use it here as well. Most of the coverage I've seen of this has been on travel sites, not technology sites. Still it is something worth paying attention to. As connectivity becomes more ubiquitous, the ways we interact with our data will continue to shift. Smaller bits of data become more important as we grab them more readily, and this step definitely makes them more readily available.