WiFi onboard?

[zackster]

A quick scan did not reveal any threads about WiFi on board so I take a chance. My apologies if there are other threads like this one.

I'll be flying SQ LHR-SIN 773 (SQ319) and SIN-LHR 388 (SQ318) during last half of February - can anyone tell me if SQ has deployed WiFi onboard these frames or any other frames for that matter? If not, you know of a time line for installing WiFi?

Cheers,

Zack
KF PPS

[a340-313x]

Hello zackster,

Unfortunately, SQ do not have wifi live onboard any of their aircraft (yet)... they will soon but it might be on a trial basis and on selected aircraft only.

Have a read (thanks Nick!) - http://www.singaporeair.com/mediacen...ws/NE_2910.jsp

Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll have a great flight... the entertainment options onboard are nearly endless!

[zackster]

my 13th trip on the 380 with SQ, so i'm x'ing my fingers that SQ and RR have sorted out any issues that may have been......... The IFE is awesome (I think) and since it has been a while (4 months) since I have flown SQ (moved to Netherlands and flying mainly in Europe with KLM (eeewwww!!)) all movies and shows should be new. Perhaps the menu is new too........

[MAN Flyer]

Supposed to be starting 2Q 2011 on all ex2 aircraft except A330, as they are on lease they don't want to spend the money on them, apparently. A shame as a lot of flights are operated by them now.

New regime, same penny pinching ?.

http://www.onair.aero/

[zackster]

ex2? Another acronym that I am not familiar with (among thousands)

[zvezda]

Supposed to be starting 2Q 2011 on all ex2 aircraft except A330, as they are on lease they don't want to spend the money on them, apparently.

It looks like the A330 leases will be extended because nothing has been ordered to replace them.

ex2? Another acronym that I am not familiar with (among thousands)

ex2 cryptically refers to a particular model of IFE (in-flight entertainment system).

[Pinkfloyd]

Supposed to be starting 2Q 2011 on all ex2 aircraft except A330, as they are on lease they don't want to spend the money on them, apparently. A shame as a lot of flights are operated by them now.

New regime, same penny pinching ?.

http://www.onair.aero/

That refers to the new generation KrisWorld system I gather?

[willzzz88]

Again for SQ to do WiFi it needs a Satellite based system which is more expensive than a land based 3G/4G based system.
The BEST solution would be the eX2 IFE + WiFi system from Panasonic (Japanese parent/American engineering):
http://www.panasonic.aero/

The eXConnect system seamlessly integrates with SQ's eX2 KrisWorld system already installed on their A345, 77W, A380 and some 773 and 772's and obviously with the new delivery A330.

Existing IFE supplier relationship for satellite broadband worldwide = awesome and cost savings.

http://www.panasonic.aero/Products/Globalcomm.aspx

Lufthansa has activated the antenna's on their A330's and has gotten regulatory approval with US/Canada and Europe(EU)UK/Ireland for the system for trans-Atlantic traffic:

Remember Lufthansa was Panasonic's first customer with some US incumbents signing on soon (and possibly Air Canada maybe but their using Thales), the service:
(Lufthansa calls it FlyNet and currently deployed on FRA-JFK/DTW/ATL with the latter two based on aircraft availability (you can lucky or not...):
http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/themen/net.html

Free until 31 Jan. and (in 2 days...) and:

"Lufthansa says it will offer FlyNet for free until 31 January. Thereafter, the price for one hour's online access will be 10.95 euros or 3,500 miles, while the 24-hour flat rate is 19.95 euros or 7,000 miles."
Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...-internet.html


It's expensive yes but like any new technology it should get cheaper over time. Boeing's CBB (Connexion by Boeing) technology failed due to being an early technology and high costs. Panasonic has dramatically reduced the cost of the antennae required to be installed on the top of the aircraft (I hear 50-75% weight savings versus CBB) using existing broadband satellites contracted (Inmarsat, Intelsat, and a few others I forgot...).

And it's SATELLITE. You can't change the latency of the laws of physics (expect 500-600ms RTT with 90-95% of that for the up-link to the transponder and the down-link on both sides of the Atlantic currently).

It's not like land-line wireless/3g/4g/fiber/fibre technologies.

Don't expect it to be cheap like in-flight IFE due to the fact that IFE all the content servers are on-board so the costs are FIXED except for media-loading every-week/month that's automated with some minor maintenance.

The middle road is eX2 and Thales software/hardware module to the eX2 which is ALREADY on the latest SQ IFE currently flying:
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_U..._resources.jsp

If SQ installed the WiFi module with their existing eX2 it would be in the "Communication" category:
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_U...?v=-473825143&

The current voice TDM module would be fitted with a data module for high-capacity satellite trans-ponder data.

The system with LH and soon SQ if SQ does their trials right does 5Mbps to the aircraft and 1Mbps from the aircraft split between all the users (dynamic load balancing), they also have the option like the OnAir solution (but Panasonic's is MUCH better than the Airbus onAir due to high-capacity data dedicated) GSM/GPRS/EDGE voice/data calls on passengers mobile phones. LH has disabled the voice option due to passenger feedback (it re-broadcasts the current plane phone on-to a GSM pico-cell). They will be enabling the GPRS/EDGE portion though and I bet Panasonic is developing a UMTS/HSPA option for even faster data distribution in-flight (for hand-sets with no WiFi which is the other option). Supposedly they have firewall rules for the data to jam VoIP but someone reports it worked (Skype works pretty around firewalls lol).

The non-satellite solution is EVEN CHEAPER since it's just a small EvDo rA (current implementation)/HSPA/LTE 3G/4G antenna on the BOTTOM of the aircraft for similar voice/data. Since it's ultra-small due to a 3g/4g plane chip-set (and FCC/Industry Canada certification) it's widely used in US/Canada right now with the respective airlines and possibly expanding to Mexico. It ONLY works over land and up to 50mi/80km away from the shore and AirCell (the supplier to American/United/US and all the other North American airlines including Air Canada):
http://www.aircell.com/
Product is go-go in-flight broadband: http://www.gogoinflight.com/gogo/splash.do

Currently it connects to 3G antennae (soon 4G) pointed upwards instead of horizontal/down from the mobile masts/cell sites.

Capacity is similar to the satellite but a-lot lower latency (typical 3g 100-200ms RTT).

It's cheaper due to cheaper operating costs. The only other solution for this worldwide would be over the EU and 3g antennae installs all over Asia/Oceania. If it's over water then nope (well in theory you can do this but then the floating buoys would be MORE expensive than the global satellite solution).

Also FlyNet (the Panasonic satellite solution) only covers North America, the Atlantic and Europe at the moment. Expansion to the rest of the world including trans-pacific for operator contract #2 Cathay Pacific is quickly expanding. There will be worldwide support within 6-12 months I hear.

[SQfanatic]

Any chance they'll eventually put it on the B777-300ER? They got the new Krisworld on all San Francisco - Singapore flights. I know it's too early to say, but I am planning to fly SQ again on February 2012 next year. Any chance of that happening?

When I flew the 77W both ways, I was doing a Wi-fi scan on my iPod Touch, generally after pushback/take off from San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore on the 777-300ER (SQ1/16), the only thing I saw was "Free Public Wifi" and connected me, yet internet didn't even work. Made me think I should bring my modem next time when I fly. I could've but my dad chose not to come with me and my mom since he needed internet. I hope they don't just enable on the A330s, but also on the A380 and the B773ER.

[zvezda]

Boeing's CBB (Connexion by Boeing) technology failed due to being an early technology and high costs.

I disagree. Connexion failed because the airlines didn't put laptop power in Economy class, so it was only a realistic option for First and Business class passengers. They fell about 30% short of the number of customers needed on the average flight.

[zackster]

a lot of good info here - thank y'all!!

great to have a chance to check email etc while en route, as long as I don't have to listen some guy/gal yacking away on Skype about his wife/her boyfriend creating a fuss or someone having a 2 hr conference call.

On the other hand, the 13 hrs between LHR and SIN are always a good way to get some time off as well. watch a movie/sit-com, enjoy the (by airline standards) great food in C/J (on rare occasions F/A), Top Gear, chit-chat with the stewardesses etc.

[nickbot]

I disagree. Connexion failed because the airlines didn't put laptop power in Economy class, so it was only a realistic option for First and Business class passengers. They fell about 30% short of the number of customers needed on the average flight.

Absolutely - hit the nail on the head. Connexion was also, in my opinion, a little ahead of its time with regard to the proliferation of wifi enabled phones/pdas/netbooks and the explosion of social networking that we have seen in the past three years or so.

[wsssaero]

It looks like the A330 leases will be extended because nothing has been ordered to replace them.

OT, but aren't they supposed to cover for the 777s until the A350/787 arrives?

[zvezda]

aren't they supposed to cover for the 777s until the A350/787 arrives?

SQ have not ordered enough A350s and 787s to replace the both the A330s and the remaining 777-200ERs and 777-300s. The 20 A350s plus 20 787s will barely suffice to replace the 777-200ERs and 777-300s that will be due for replacement as they arrive -- assuming the A330s remain in service.

[nursalimLPP]

They might order 747 8 hahaha to add to the fleet... day dreaming!