In 2008, the last frontier of broadband access will finally be conquered. Air travelers in the U.S. can look forward to surfing the web as they fly through the sky. Using air-to-ground (cellular) technology, AirCell, a 15-year leader in airborne communications, will pioneer the launch of inflight broadband connectivity on commercial airlines, improving the travel experience for millions of fliers in the new year.

AirCell broadband, says the company, will increase productivity, allowing the busy passenger to recapture time, whether through work, personal correspondence or vacation planning, while in flight: "The ability to use the Internet to e-mail, text message and connect to your corporate office (VPN) in the air provides a flying experience never before possible."

In preparation for the 2008 roll-out of inflight broadband services, which is one of the most requested services by passengers, AirCell has been flying close to the ground:

• Winning the FCC auction to exclusively use the air-to-ground spectrum license abandoned by defunct Airphone
• Building the ground network that will supply passengers with inflight broadband connectivity
• Inking deals with major US airlines like American Airlines and Virgin America

Once aircrafts have been outfitted with AirCell's light-weight antennas, passengers will be able to use their own personal Wi-Fi-enabled laptop, PDA, BlackBerry, Smartphone or portable gaming system on board to connect to the AirCell Broadband System. AirCell broadband will offer connection speeds similar to Cable or DSL, meaning passengers won't wait for web pages to load. And it will be affordable; pricing for AirCell's Broadband System will be comparable to pricing for most ground-based Wi-Fi services at hotels and airports.

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