Who hasn’t been in the air and wished they could connect to WiFi and stream a movie, play music, surf the web or send an email? JetBlue is gearing up to make that a reality by offering free high- peed internet on all their flights. The airline has already outfitted over 150 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft with Fly-Fi.
That leaves just sixty of JetBlue’s E190 aircraft, which should all have Fly-Fi by the fall of 2016. That would make JetBlue the first carrier to offer free WiFi on all its flights, regardless of destination and class.
This news comes on the heels of JetBlue partnering with Amazon to offer Amazon Video. That gives Amazon Prime members access to thousands of movies and TV episodes while they’re in the air.
Logging On
Fly-Fi users can access what JetBlue affectionately calls the Hub with their personal electronic devices. While on the the Hub, you can stream a variety of TV shows and movies, along with educational content and news.
You can also access video from a variety of sources, including Vox Media, PBS and NatGeo, along with magazines from Time and e-books from Harper Collins. Of course you’ll still have access to live DIRECTV and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, which the airline’s been offering for years.
The Inside Track
How can JetBlue offer WiFi while in the air? Fly-Fi uses Ka-band satellite technology, which gives passengers the same kind of experience that they would have if they were connected to their broadband internet at home. Using this technology means that video can be streamed, and users can log on with multiple devices.
Ka-band satellite technology offers speeds up to 20 mbps per computer, phone or tablet. This speed has made it possible for JetBlue to not only partner with Amazon, but also with other media outlets, including MLB at Bat and The Wall Street Journal.