Seamless Air Alliance showcases technologies enabling inflight connectivity

Paris, France. 17 June 2019. The aggravations of inflight internet access will soon be a thing of the past as the next-generation of inflight connectivity is set to become a reality. The Seamless Air Alliancewill demonstrate some of the key technologies that will be a part of the specification being developed by its membership of industry leading companies.

Taking place on the first day of the Paris Air Show 2019 and with the support of its membersGlobalReach Technology, Sprint and Boingo, the Seamless Air Alliance will demonstrate secure and seamless connection to high-performance inflight Wi-Fi using Hotspot 2.0 Wi-Fi services and discuss the opportunities that 5G presents to the airline industry.

Hotspot 2.0 is an important tool that has been a part of the Seamless Air Alliance’s extensive work across Wi-Fi, cellular and 5G technologies as its membership continues to promote open standards for inflight connectivity equipment.

“This demonstration is a big step for the Alliance in showcasing the progress that we have made in recent months. We want to empower airlines with more control over the connectivity experience delivered to their passengers. Open specifications will drive down the cost and complexity for airlines and result in a better experience for billions of passengers across the globe,” said Jack Mandala, CEO of Seamless Air Alliance.

“Seamless Air Alliance will deliver industry advances that makes our customers’ lives better.  Seamless connectivity from ground to in-air provides an entirely new level of convenience, productivity and entertainment for travelers,” said Doug Smith, Vice President of Product Marketing and Innovation, Sprint.

Today, mobile network operators all over the world use Hotspot 2.0 technology to automatically configure consumer devices to connect to select Wi-Fi networks at airports, hotels and other venues using the necessary encryption protocols and without any user interaction. In this same manner, Hotspot 2.0 credentials can be used to extend carrier networks for seamless inflight connectivity to passengers of participating operators.

Mark Carter, Chief Product Officer at GlobalReach Technology said, “Wi-Fi is crucial for today’s travellers. Airline passengers want to stay connected in the air for work, entertainment and communications, making high-performance inflight Wi-Fi essential. To differentiate both their ground and inflight experience, improve satisfaction ratings and passenger loyalty, Hotspot 2.0 provides passengers with secure, frictionless connectivity across multiple devices and planes.”

“Boingo launched the world’s first large-scale commercial Hotspot 2.0, Boingo Passpoint, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport in 2013,” said Dr. Derek Peterson, Chief Technology Officer at Boingo. “Now we drive secure, seamless Passpoint traffic from various carriers at airports, arenas and other large venues across the globe. Boingo is a connectivity leader on the ground, so we’re looking forward to working with Seamless Air Alliance partners to establish the next generation of connectivity in the air.”

To encourage a broad range of airline membership the Seamless Air Alliance has announced a new membership tier designed to enable airlines of all sizes to join and participate. The next Seamless Air Alliance members meeting will take place at the former BBC Headquarters in White City, West London, 10-11 July 2019.