China's "air WiFi": LAN-WiFi, WiFi in the air, air-IT news
China's "air WiFi": local area network
[Abstract] the majority of domestic flights without WiFi, even if there is a local area cannot be connected with the ground.
Although domestic airlines already layout sky radio network, but at the moment, "air WiFi" is still owed. Most flights do not have WiFi and the rest were mostly local area network cannot be connected with the ground.
It is reported that the airline began experimenting with aerial means such as e-commerce, content, ads, and interconnecting the world of aircraft modifications, technical difficulties, high costs are always dragged "WiFi in the sky" back.
According to a third-party air carriers informed sources, cost of sold goods in the air, also involved a lot, it is difficult to balance the interests of all parties.
Air e-commerce, advertising, use of WiFi in the sky as a gimmick to attract visitors revenue can offset installation costs of equipment and trucks flying, how to divvy up huge technology spending into the domestic airlines need to think of the problem.
Users are not happy with
For often travel of crowd for, didn't sent finished mail but and had to boarding of situation is common, aircraft entered flat fly State Hou, thought can using air WiFi sent mail has, who knows even Shang Hou, or only landing cabin within of LAN, cannot connection outside, or connection outside Shi only landing specifies website, mailbox is only using specifies mailbox, more has is who will was told, WiFi cannot using. According to a Shenzhen Airlines flight attendant said, currently the airline's so-called WiFi flight, only "intranet", although in the "intranet" is selected on the audio and video entertainment, even after contacting the cabin a few rows of passengers, but if you want to contact the outside world, like at home using a network or is not possible.
Such a situation is no accident. There were passengers in late October on Air China flight CA1322 from Guangzhou to Beijing, during which, the identity of the passengers to see in-flight WiFi is available, but the Tablet has not found the WiFi signal, asking flight attendants, flight attendants say "unavailable, WiFi and no". Tencent technology to call Air China Hotline 010-59036666, was informed that not all flights on Air China is equipped with WiFi service, even when booking to inform passengers of the flights have WiFi service unusable situation may also occur.
Another domestic airline cabin crew to Tencent technology revealed that present little WiFi on a flight, said some, just onboard LAN, is unable to connect to the outside world.
Not just domestic, foreign "WiFi in the air" could not find a way to game-changers. FlightView survey the United States investigated 600 passengers, only 28% passengers are satisfied with in-flight WiFi service. United States the consumer reports National Research Center's latest research shows that very few passengers using Wi-Fi in the sky. According to 3,000 passengers a 1-year survey showed that only 23% people want to link to on my computer with Wi-Fi, only 16% people really connected to. Connection with 37%, says that sometimes interrupt or unstable speed conditions.
True or false WiFi
Starting from the second half of 2012, Hainan Airlines cabin which began to install Tablet PC. Visitors can be found in most Hainan Airlines plane seats found behind the Tablet PC and free Internet access. Last month, the airline "air Internet industry association" was founded, ZTE, shipping company, China UnionPay, Jingdong Mall, SINA and youku, Tudou and other Internet companies are among the list of core units. And China Eastern Airlines also recently introduced Boeing airliner with China UnionPay sign strategic cooperation agreement, issued the world's first "space Internet payment platform."
However, passengers may not know every day, HNA air network operations business, "joy Airlines" will have 200 laihao pad on passenger aircraft carrying people down, charging, updating data, and then moved back to the plane. But the so-called cool "air WiFi" also has "LAN" and "heaven and Earth Association" either. Focus on aviation Internet technical development and introduce joy Airlines CEO Pan Yunbin operating platform, Internet project of the Hainan Airlines, the first step is in each airplane seat back with a Tablet; the second step, build a cabin within a local area network and interconnection make tablets within the cabin; the third step is to achieve world communications.
At present, the domestic airline "air WiFi" mostly is a local area, which is inside the cabin a small LAN, unable to connect with the outside world. Interconnection of the world, after all, the cost is too high. Throughout the financial reporting of the major airlines, jet fuel cost is not increased and increased. Although the airlines profitable, but if removed from the total profit non-operating income, investment income and gains on Exchange, transport operations of several large airlines are losing money. Installation of WiFi in the sky, is not as simple as we imagine adding a router. Shenzhen Airlines previously announced each airplane refitting WiFi cost about 4.5 million Yuan.
From a technical point of view, and there are two main interconnected ways : one is the air, via internal wireless network installed on aircraft and satellite communications, communications through satellites and ground stations, main station and internally connected network operators on the ground. This method has the advantage of global coverage, but the biggest problem is slow, only ' narrow band ' transmission another way is by air, using airborne equipment and ground stations network links. Its strength is its speed, and the problem is that the base station must be reconstruction and services only after reconstruction of the base station on a route. Both are faced with the problems of high costs and expanding.
In addition to the costs of converting and transmission costs are difficult to ignore. United States largest provider of WiFi in the sky GoGo 1M each be transferred to aircraft cost about 20 cents, then 1G cost about $ 200.
Air marketing
In January-May this year total domestic passenger traffic to 144 million people in the region and international 12 million passengers, compared with growth of 11.1% and 16.5%, respectively. So large in the high-end consumer group, absence of the Internet companies they cannot tolerate high in the sky. WiFi in the sky, is but one entrance.
Sophist group key account sales and General Manager Song Chunzheng was quoted as saying: "passengers on the flights using a laptop or tablet computer, network log cabin, in Jingdong" air purchased "channel browsing Jingdong will suit air uses large data techniques to analyze shopping categories, mainly providing high-end travel, gift products. “
However, according to one insider third-party air carriers, cost of sold goods in the air, also involved a lot, it is difficult to balance the interests of all parties. He said: "as far as I know, Hainan Airlines flight attendants minimum Commission is to sell the product in the air 25%, Jingdong margins not even enough flight attendants, ground it if you moved it into the air, in fact, difficult to maintain, because you have to face the very different costs. "Air China stewardess Tencent technology revealed that they sell on the plane, the commissions they could get to 5%. Some other airline flight attendants also have a percentage system, get commissions ranging from 5% to 35%. In addition, goods warehousing, transportation and other costs. Electrical contractor profits up in the air enough to share.
Electrical contractor in addition to the air, aerial advertising and airlines attempt to "WiFi in the sky" opening up new profit point. Ground advertising competition, in contrast, aerial advertising is a beautiful Virgin Lands of the weed. Air visitor spending ranks first in all modes of transport, routes to link the two, geographically delineated, brand operators can more precisely planning marketing strategies, and air travel freedoms restricted, on the same note of strength than other parts of the ad, operators can easily achieve exclusive marketing, monopolize the attention of passengers during the flight time. This is precisely the intention of the Hainan Airlines provide passengers with pad. Advertisements placed in the pad on the one hand, on the other hand, audio and visual resources, not only in the pad can populate the content and can be herself down on the front patch after patch and placed on advertising.
Air China said, there is no consideration to air charge WiFi service.