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WirelessG finally takes to the sky


Johannesburg, 13 Oct 2011

After three years of negotiations, painstaking assessment and certification formalities, Internet service provider (ISP) WirelessG has been given the green light for in-flight WiFi services on local aircraft.

The ISP announced yesterday that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had approved WirelessG and in-flight broadband provider Row 44's application to install in-flight WiFi-enabling equipment on board commercial aircraft. This will effectively permit WirelessG to operate its G-Connect broadband services aboard commercial aircraft in SA's skies. These services will initially only be available on Mango flights.

Senior manager of aircraft certification at CAA Subash Devkaran says that, while quality assurance of the final installation is not yet tied up, the authority is “proud to announce its consent for the use of this technology in SA, especially as it is a South African company that will exclusively offer the service”.

This development, which WirelessG CEO Carel van der Merwe refers to as “the missing link in telecommunications”, means jetsetters will have access to Internet connectivity, e-mail, SMS services and even Internet Protocol television at 35 000 feet.

An African first

Devkaran says the application is the first of its kind in Africa and will enhance the value proposition offered in the airline industry.

“It is not only the first time, but internationally very unique, that a telecommunications company gets involved in the airline industry to such an extent where broadband will be supplied as part of a converged telecommunications service.”

He says, however, that while the move will contribute greatly to South African industrial competitiveness in the global arena, the CAA's primary concern is that of passenger safety. “The in-flight WiFi technology has been rigorously tested by the Federal Communications Commission.”

Safety standards

According to Devkaran, the CAA's approval of WirelessG's in-flight WiFi services was approved in a matter of weeks, following the safety endorsement and issuing of a supplemental type certificate (STC) release from the Federal Aviation Authority in the US and the European Aviation Safety Agency to equip 737-800 series commercial aircraft and operate WiFi services.

Van der Merwe says: "Given the fact that it was an extensive process to get the technology approved by various authorities, this consent by the CAA can be seen as the most critical. It finally provides certainty and credibility to all stakeholders involved. The WirelessG in-flight initiative became a critical success factor in our long-term strategy that was already initiated in 2008.”

The in-flight STC, says Devkaran, allows for the use of any WiFi-enabled mobile device. GSM still has to be switched off when using dual model devices, but airlines equipped with this technology may now apply for special exemption from the CAA to accommodate the use of WiFi only with such phones.

According to Van der Merwe, 67% of the target market indicated they would use the in-flight service. Research indicates that 67% of in-flight WiFi users will access a combination of business and social sites, and that Facebook's social network will dominate Web surfing with 61% and Twitter 22% of traffic. Only 6% of travellers are expected to take an all-work-and-no-play approach.

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