New cellular towers must be built in Alaska before the Internet service will available for purchase on flights in the state, the Seattle-based airline said.
The service provider, Aircell, said it plans to install six towers that will provide continuous service along the airline's major flight paths in Southeast Alaska, Southcentral and to Fairbanks by the end of the year.
Pending regulatory approval, Alaska Airlines passengers with Wi-Fi-enabled devices could begin surfing the Lower 48 skies before fall.
In-flight Internet service is exploding this year, with most major commercial carriers signing up for either cellular or satellite-based technology. Aircell has installed its wireless service on more than 700 commercial passenger planes in the Lower 48, with carriers including AirTran Airways, Virgin America, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada. The company will also install wireless on Continental Airlines and US Airways planes this year.
The company plans to test its service on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 jet this spring, but the Federal Aviation Administration must certify the service before it will be available for passenger use or expanded to the rest of the fleet.
Once it receives FAA approval, Alaska said it will begin installing the service on its 737-800s, which serve longer routes. The airline plans to install the service on all of its 737-800s and 737-900s before fall, said Chase Craig, Alaska's manager of product development and market research.
The service also will be installed on the airline's 737-400s and 737-700s, company officials.
As is the case with any electronic device, Aircell's service, called Gogo Inflight Internet, is available only while planes are cruising above 10,000 feet. It allows passengers to use e-mail, browse the Web and download music, games and podcasts. It also allows passengers to log on to their companies' secured networks. Using the system to place voice calls is a violation of Alaska Airlines policy.
Pricing fluctuates based on the length of the flight and the type of device used. Sample prices for the Gogo service: $4.95 for a 1.5-hour flight and $12.95 for a three-hour flight.
The service relies on Aircell's land-based cellular towers, which already blanket the Lower 48. Each tower covers a radius of about 200 miles.
Alaska Airlines experimented with a satellite-based wireless service called Row 44 last year but decided against using satellite technology because it was more expensive and would have taken years to fully activate, Craig said.
Aircell doesn't plan to expand its service to Hawaii, and its wireless service will go dark while planes pass over Canada and Mexico. Aircell said it hopes to offer wireless coverage in those two countries later.
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