Qantas will soon make free in-flight wi-fi available to its passengers, delivering internet that is as fast as broadband connections on the ground.
The announcement came on Tuesday that Qantas would trial the service on its Boeing 727 fleet in late 2016. The trial will see if aeroplanes fitted with modems and antenna will be able to use the National Broadband Network’s satellites.
If all goes well, the service will be delivered by global satellite broadcaster ViaSat on fleets of A330s and B737 from early 2017.
“Bringing high-speed wi-fi to the domestic aviation market has been an ambition of ours for a long time and we now have access to the right technology to make it happen,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.
Apparently speeds will be 10 times faster than conventional in-flight wi-fi, meaning passengers could stream video and watch live videos. But perhaps more important? In-flight selfies!
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