Remember the days of the sacred space of your airplane seat? It might have been small, cramped and smell of jet fuel, but it was your little nugget of freedom, where you could tune out, turn off and enjoy relative anonymity. No phone was going to ring, text going to come through or urgent email demand attention.
But nowadays, savvy travellers know that this sacred space is gone. It has been invaded by the ability to check email and surf the web from 10,000 feet. For those that don't know, the following airlines currently offer free internet access from the sky: Emirates, Lufthansa, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok A, with dozens more offering it at a price.
But soon WiFi will be available on all European airlines.
Deutsche Telekom and Inmarsat have announced they will be working towards providing high-speed broadband in European airspace before 2017. The two firms said they will partner up to provide in-flight connectivity to passengers on Europe's airlines using an LTE-based ground network and satellite network.
Lufthansa will be the first European hub airline to use the service, and is set to launch WiFi on board its European flights in early summer 2016. The 'European Aviation Network' will eventually be available in all major European airline routes, allowing both commercial and business connectivity of equivalent quality to home broadband.
Internet connectivity in the air is coming simultaneously to internet connectivity underground. Over 150 London underground stations already offer WiFi through 5 major carriers, with the facility continuing to be expanded. Once you activiate the service through your carrier, your device automatically picks up the WiFi signal when you are in a WiFi enabled tube station.There is no signal in tunnels, but your phone connects to the signal at the next WiFi enabled platform, so you can pick up where you left off.
What does this mean? Well with Apple watches, Google Glass, advanced VoIP technology, the Internet of Things and now a world where even the birds and the trolls can get online, there are virtually no barriers to connectedness. Almost everything is (or will be) interconnected. Communicating with devices, each other, and software that tracks our every bodily function is becoming effortless. Anonymity, sacred space and “turning off” is becoming harder. And with that, we are witnessing a turning point. For hundreds of years we have tried to increase our interconnectedness, but now effort is required in the other direction… we have to try to escape it.
Yoga anyone?
P.S. To find out which airlines worldwide offer wifi (free or not), click here.
About VTSL
VTSL is a VoIP technology provider offering VoIP business phone systems and internet connectivity to small and medium sized businesses across the UK and Ireland. The company is based in London and offers high-speed broadband connectivity as well as business Wi-Fi and leased-line fibre solutions. For more information on VoIP technology, internet connectivity or business phone systems, visit www.vtsl.net or call 020 7078 3200.
