Qantas is testing free inflight Wi-Fi on domestic flights
aboard a Boeing 737-800 and by mid-year will begin expanding it across its 80
Airbus 330s and Boeing 737s. Qantas expects to complete the task by the end of
2018. It is using global broadband services provider ViaSat and Australian
satellite service NBN Sky Muster, which the carrier claims will be as much as
10 times faster than conventional onboard Wi-Fi.
"Inflight Wi-Fi has been on our wish list for quite a
while, but the sheer size of Australia meant it was hard to offer a service
that was fast and reliable," according to Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.
"The NBN has made it possible."
Joyce expects particularly high demand on business travel-heavy
routes between Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. While the service is fast enough
to enable streaming video, Qantas is not allowing passengers to use it for
voice calls "in the interests of everyone in the cabin."
Qantas
also is working on a Wi-Fi product for its international fleet "that can
overcome a number of technical, performance and coverage challenges,"
according to the carrier.