Inmarsat, Deutsche Telekom to jointly provide in-flight broadband in Europe

Passengers on European short-haul flights would get high-speed internet access using a combined satellite and air-to-ground network to be built by UK's Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom.

The platform would cater to travellers in Europe, which include some of the highest density air-traffic routes in the world, and provide

levels of speed and coverage comparable to home broadband services, the companies said at a joint press conference.

German airline Lufthansa, which had so far offered wireless internet only on long-haul flights, will put the service on trial in 2017 as it sought new ways to generate revenue from its passengers.

Costs would depend on cabin class and ticket pricing, chief executive Carsten Spohr told journalists in Frankfurt. Lufthansa would offer the new service on 180 of its planes.

According to Spohr, customers had placed a high value on staying connected, with 85 per cent willing to give up other amenities on board to get internet coverage.

The European Aviation Network, as it would be called would be a new framework that combined LTE and satellite networks to deliver high-speed internet across the continent.

The multi-beam satellites in the network would rely on Inmarsat's 30MHz (2 x 15MHz) S-band spectrum, which covered all 28 EU member states.

On the other hand Deutsche Telekom, will utilise 300 specially-modified LTE sites that ranged up to 80 kilometers (normal masts offer around 10 kilometers) capable of efficiently dealing with the speed of a plane travelling at 10,000 feet.
 
While British Airways was said to be in discussion to be a launch customer, Lufthansa would be the first European airline to trial the European Aviation Network system in 2017.

Its aircraft would incorporate equipment that could connect to both the S-band satellite and the high-speed broadband ground network.

The systems would switch automatically between the two, ensuring passengers received reliable WiFi speeds. According to Inmarsat they would be "similar to the comfort of high-speed broadband at home" -- whether their plane was above land or water.