Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), Sprint Corp (NYSE:S), Airbus SE (OTCMKTS:EADSF), OneWeb and Bharti Airtel are teaming up to create the Seamless Air Alliance.
The goal of the Seamless Air Alliance is to create a group that works together on providing customers with in-flight Wi-Fi without hassle. The group will also be accepting additional members beyond the five founders.
According to the Seamless Air Alliance’s announcement, they are looking to “eliminate the immense costs and hurdles commonly associated with acquisition, installation, and operation of data access infrastructure.”
The Seamless Air Alliance says that it plans to achieve this goal in a few ways. This includes:
- Streamlining system integration and certification.
- Providing open specifications for interoperability.
- Increasing accessibility for passengers.
- Enabling simple and integrated billing.
According to Sprint, it hopes to integrate its 5G network into the effort. The company says that it is currently planning to have its 5G network ready for launch next year. This will allow customers to access the 5G network while on flights.
The Seamless Air Alliance notes that it will be using satellite technology to allow passengers to continue to experience high-speed internet during flights. The idea is that this will provide them with internet in the air that is just as fast as what they experience on the ground.
“With the launch of our first production satellites set for later this year, we’re one step closer to bridging the global Digital Divide on land and in the air,” Greg Wyler, Founder and Executive Chairman of OneWeb, said in a statement.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
