Bit by bit, flying is getting a little more tech friendly. First, the FAA started reconsidering its total ban on electronic device use at takeoff, and now the FCC is making it way easier for airlines to get in-flight Internet. The future looks bright.
In-flight Internet already exists, so its application isn't exactly a technical problem. The issue is that every airline has to get permission from the FCC to use the satellite-delivered airwaves in-flight Wi-Fi requires, and up until now there was no application process. Instead, every case was considered in an ad hoc basis, making the progress extremely slow.
A new license application process the FCC announced on Friday should make it wildly easier for airlines that don't have some sort of in-flight broadband setup to get it. According to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, the new process speeds things up by at least 50 percent, making the transition into the in-flight Internet utopia we all want that much quicker. You'll still have to wait in the FAA to clear you to use the gadgets you want, but Internet is coming either way. [Washington Post via SlashGear]
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