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Airlines Struggle to Lay Ground Rules as Wi-Fi Joins Flight Plan


Mobile yapping, illicit site trawling
to join in-flight grievances

Issues like censorship and plain old decency are facing airlines as they add wi-fi internet to flight plan for close-quartered passengers.

According to the Globe and Mail, airlines in Europe and Australia will allow both voice and data services in the skies.

Australia's Quantas Airlines is adopting Panasonic technology that blocks "objectionable" sites online and permits wi-fi-enabled handsets to make phone calls. European airlines, such as Air France, will offer similar standards via OnAir cellular services.

Stateside airlines like American and Alaska are also experimenting with wi-fi, but opting to ban web-based phone services like Skype, believing marathon yappers will lead to passenger unruliness and privacy disruption.

But American, Virgin America, and Alaska have no plans to filter the web. Though it won't censor, AirCell, the data provider for American and Virgin, believes "decency and good sense and normal behavior will prevail."

Related Topics

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