BT, Excite to Develop In Flight Internet Gateway

BT announced Wednesday that
it
will develop its In Flight Internet Gateway in association with
Excite UK, one of the top
Internet portals in the UK.


The new service will allow airline passengers to access the Internet
via Excite, using either BTs IP-enhanced Skyphone or its ALIS
communications
and entertainment platform. Satellite access will give users
a 64kbps link for browsing the Web, although frequently-used
content will be cached on-board the aircraft.


“We are bringing full high-speed Internet access to passengers in
flight,” said Alam Gill, head of BT Aeronautical. “In developing an end-to-end IP solution, we have formed partnerships
with the best players in the industry.”

“Excite is a recognised leader
in the delivery of Internet content. As our partner they will bring
one of the vital pieces of this complex jigsaw puzzle allowing us to
offer a robust, secure portal of customer specific content with the
ability to carry out on-line transactions.”


Nineteen of the worlds leading airlines use BT Skyphone, while
BT’s ALIS service delivers in-flight entertainment, information and
communication via satellite, mainly on airlines running long-haul
flights. They include Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Virgin
Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines and Lauda Air.


BT expects to introduce an IP-enhanced version of ALIS within
12 months. It will bring full access to the Internet right to the
passenger seat.

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