Context: Tata Group’s Air India has announced the rollout of free in-flight Internet service on board domestic and international flights, making the group the first in India to offer internet connectivity on domestic flights.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Detailed question on working on the internet on flight.
Working of in-flight Internet
- In-flight internet has various components that facilitates the connectivity:
- Aircraft antennas- There are two kinds of internet antennas in flight for different types of technologies.
- ATG type antennas are underside the aircraft.
- Satellite antennas are dome shaped mounted on the top of the aircraft.
- WiFi access point- Also known as cabin server that allows cabin to distribute the internet to passengers via Wi-Fi.
- Service provider- Service providers provide infrastructure to facilitate internet connectivity examples; Gogo, Starling etc.
- Aircraft antennas- There are two kinds of internet antennas in flight for different types of technologies.
There are two modes of the Transmission
- Air-to-Ground (ATG) Systems:
- The aircraft connects to ground-based cellular towers designed to communicate with planes in flight.
- The system includes an antenna mounted underneath the aircraft that maintains a connection with ground stations.
- Data is transmitted back and forth between the airplane and the ground, similar to a mobile data network.
- Satellite-Based Systems: The airplane connects to satellites orbiting the Earth to access the internet.
- Geostationary satellites and Low-Earth orbit satellites are used to transmit internet on the flight using dome shaped antennas.
- Various service providers like Starlink provide such services to the flights.
Step-by-step working of in-flight Internet
- Connection Establishment: As aircraft are airborne, the onboard system activates the internet connection.
- Data Transmission: Passenger generates the data request and on-board antenna sends signal to the satellite or the ground based facility.
- Return Path: The response (E.g., the requested web page) follows the reverse path: from the internet backbone → ground station or satellite → aircraft antenna → onboard router → passenger’s device.
- Seamless Handoffs: Both ATG and satellite based systems adjust connections during the flight’s movement.
Challenges to in-flight Internet
- Limited bandwidth- The bandwidth shared with the passengers is limited and leads to slower speeds during peak usage.
- Latency- Satellite systems have higher latency due to long distance of data travel.
- Cost- The cost of in-flight internet is highly expensive in nature both during installation as well as in operations. E.g., Air India needs to spend $400 Million for retrofitting new aircraft.
New Emerging Technologies to enhance in-flight Internet Connectivity
- LEO satellites: LEO systems like Starlink Aviation are revolutionizing the internet with faster speed and low latency.
- Flat- Panel Antennas: These are smaller antennas for more efficient data sharing and reducing operational costs.
- Integration with 5G: Emerging technologies aim to integrate in-flight internet with terrestrial 5G networks for better speed and reliability.
Conclusion: Air India’s step to provide internet on flight can be a game changer in the domestic airlines adding to quality of service and improving customer experience on flight.