Business
Prediction: BlackBerry in-flight will take longer than you think
As has been reported, within a year you will be able to use your BlackBerry on selected flights. That's because AirCell will install equipment on airliners that will act as a WiFi hotspot in the cabin and connect to Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerrys, and laptop computers too.
![zd-defaultauthor-russell-shaw.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/aab0ecb7fa6229ddd570d9e60960c37cdb96c2ed/2014/12/04/3c90fefa-7b70-11e4-9a74-d4ae52e95e57/zd-defaultauthor-russell-shaw.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
As has been reported, within a year you will be able to use your BlackBerry on selected flights.
That's because AirCell will install equipment on airliners that will act as a WiFi hotspot in the cabin and connect to Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerrys, and laptop computers too.
The "up until" factor of a year here is probably a bit too quick, IMHO. Not because of market figures, but because when it comes to government testing and permissions, the bureaucracy often runs V-E-R-Y S-L-OW. Plus, then you'd be looking at a lengthy interval before enough of the collective airline fleet is duly enabled. At $100,000 a plane for such enablement that may take awhile from a procedural standpoint.
I'd say we're 18 months out.