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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.
Written by Russell Shaw, Contributor
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.

 

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