how much will it cost?

Could someone please explain to me how a cell phone would interfere with the plane operating but not wi-fi? And how exactly does wi-fi work 5 miles above earth? I'm not exactly tech savvy, sorry folks if it all sounds dumb.

I thought everyone understood the concepts by now, and the background info vs. cell phones. Here goes:

The wifi in the plane is operated by placing essentially your familiar wifi points (but fancy/flight-interference-tested) in a few places above the cabin header. Laptop/pda data packets are then uplinked via either satellite (roof antenna) or ground stations (belly antenna) in in the continental US.

The issue of why this is different from cell phones:
1. the main reason for prohibition of cell phone use is that when a cell phone is at say, 5000 feet, it is not so far away from ground cell stations to be useless, but close enough that the signals are received by multiple cells at similar strength, confusing the cell towers as to which should receive the call handoff.
2. there are proposals to install hardware that allows cell phones, in the same way as the wifi -- basically placing a microcell point in the aircraft and again using the stronger aircraft antenna to connect to the terrestrial network.
3. You do not want people to be able to make calls on a plane for a cheap rate. For the good of everyone, please, don't advocate for this. It will be hell to endure people's inane conversations. Let's simply activate the text messaging/control channel. There's nothing essential that needs to be said that cannot be said via text message.
4. There are technical reports of phone interference with aircraft systems (rare), but these have not been the main reasons for cell phone prohibition, although it is a factor in not getting cell phones explicitly approved for in-flight use.

as for those who say people will rapidly adapt in-flight wifi to use Skype, etc, I believe the signal latency and other issues will make it pretty hard to use VOIP (even if they managed to tunnel through a VPN). And in fact they should turn off those ports altogether, to prevent idiots shouting "can you hear me??" throughout the flight.

@SLAAB: The internet is provided via satellite internet. Which is then connected to a wifi access point in the cabin of the plane. Users connect to the access point to gain access to the internet.

As for a cell phone interfering with the operation of a plane, this was 100% myth. It was never true. Originally the ban was created because the cell carriers were worried that phones moving as fast as a plane could cause problems when switching between towers that fast. And airlines weren't going to argue against that since they could then make customers use their more expensive pay phones on the plane.

@SLAAB: They use a cellular signal, the signal is received on the plane. Then they hook it up to a router.

I know, silly that we can't use internet on a BlackBerry but we can pay $7 and use it on our laptop.

GOGO starts at about $4 an hour. Not horrible if you really need the connection but not so good, IMHO.

I wouldn't count on hearing about tarmac delays as they happen. On Delta Airlines they tell you the wi-fi won't work until you hit 10,000 feet.

They should totally call this Wi-Fly.

I'll be expecting my royalty checks any day now.

@suburbanxcore:
I think it's clever, but it sounds too much like "Why Fly", as in "why the hell would anyone fly when it's such an unpleasant experience anymore?"

For a short period out of my lifetime, while I was in the air I had isolation from cell phones, e-mail, etc. Now they want to take that away from me also. What's next? Cell phones that send messages through your brain while you sleep?

@nfs: THIS.

Of course they won't give it for free.

But maybe they will if I wear a short enough skirt.

Can you imagine the Twitter action? "The peanuts are great, only 2 years past expiration" " I wish the lady in the next seat would change her baby's diaper in the next 500 miles" "Some creepy guy is snuggling next to me" and, "Hey what is up with the naked guy running down the aisle?"

@H3ion: Hmm- that would explain the voices I hear in my head...

@l951b951: Better watch what you wear on Southwest, they will boot ya off the plane.

@SLAAB: They shield the cockpit area from the cabin area, and place a Wifi access point inside the cabin. Because of the close proximity, most modern Wifi cards can jack down the power w/o loss of speed.

Meanwhile, the FCC and FAA is authorizing these tests to prove that there's no interference. More data means more info for rule making. It could be that the 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz range is ok, but GSM and CDMA frequencies fuzz the electronics and interfere with communications. (And yes, I know about the Mythbusters phone-in-plane episode, which got close but couldn't test it in flight -- plus, their simulation had an effect at the 900 Mhz GSM range)

@STrRedWolf: So that's a sign that we shouldn't allow GSM 900, then- why block UMTS, GSM 1900 (which is what America actually uses), CDMA, etc?

@Corporate_guy:

The rule is not because of actual safety concerns, it's because the FAA decrees it so. There are only 4 electronic items that are no-questions allowed to be operated on a plane under IFR flight rules (all airline traffic). While the potential for harm during cruise is minimal, there is a huge danger if actual interference occurs during take-off, climb, descent, and landing. The potential for wireless electronics to disturb instruments is pretty much non-existent, but it IS there and that's why it's not allowed.

I'm sure that in any case, the wi-fi connection will be terminated during the portions of flight I mentioned above.

@Corporate_guy:

Not to mention the horrifying idea of sitting on a plane while the two large people on either side of you jabber on about their inane lives too loudly for you to hear anything else for the entire duration of the flight.

@tbax929: Maybe Amtrak will use it then.

@icodowd: Oh that would be truly wonderful, making my five hour trips much more pleasant with the ability to post all over consumerist

Is anyone else surprised that enough Southwest customers own laptops to make this profitable for Southwest?

@nfs: According to the Southwest blog discussion on their trial period pricing [www.blogsouthwest.com]

"The connection cost will range from $2 to $12 and will be determined by the distance Customers are traveling and the device they are using to connect. The cost to get online will be displayed when a Customer launches his or her Internet browser and will be applicable to Employees as well as Customers"

@cowboyesfan: No. Just because people are smart with their money by flying Southwest doesn't make them poor, tech-phobic, not-business oriented, whatever you were getting at with that comment.

@cowboyesfan: I fly SWA and have TWO laptops. We save enough money in checked baggage fees, fees for different seats, fees for blankets, fees for pillows, and fees for drinks to go out and buy a decent laptop. Smart people who fly domestic don't spend all their money in the sky. So what if the seats aren't assigned. They're all going to the same place anyway.

Wonderful. A couple days ago I was quietly enjoying a cup of coffee at a local corporate coffee swillhouse and some A-hole pharma rep at the table right next to me made about thirty sales calls and yammered LOUDLY on and on. Felt like clobbering the inconsiderate jerk. I guess a college education doesn't necessarily give you any sense of intelligence.

Luckily I don't fly very often, but some people do and tend to want to do their best to relax. Southwest may end up having to hire a bunch of extra Sky Marshalls once this thing rolls out. I can imagine that punks like that pharma rep traveling from L.A. to Philly loudly yammering out his "important" business calls on Skype may find that by Kansas his laptop is covered in hot coffee and his ass is tied up in the latrine with his head in the bowl.

@icodowd: Not much could make Amtrak more unpleasant. But it's an idea.

@engstewart: Only if you see the bill.

I guess that wouldn't apply unless you sleep during "peak hours"...

@tbax929: "WiFly Southwest" sounds completely appropriate if they really roll this out without putting restrictions on voice usage.

@Darkjediben: Amen.

DO you even get Cell Phone signals 10,000 feet up in the Air? I was in another country once and forgot to turn off the phone. Shortly before reaching cruising altitude. I heard the signal lost tone from my phone. It was a GSM phone.

@H3ion:

Someone been watching Futurama :)

@cowboyesfan: Sometimes it is more efficient to fly Southwest for business. I recently flew to an area where SW offered several direct flights (1.5 hour flight total). All other airlines had a 3 hour layover at LGA or PHL.

As SW expands their business, they often become the best price and offer the best schedules which often times suit business travelers...afterall, Coach class is Coach class no matter how you look at it. At least on SW, you still get peanits or crackers for free, on other airlines you need to pay for them.

@hypochondriac: Note that WIFI does not necessarily equal cell phone signal. "kepler11" above gave a great explanation of how this works.

With in flight wifi, don't they typically block skype and other such apps?

@From the cubicle of PGibbons: I don't see any reason that the sound levels can't be monitored the same way they currently are - if you are watching a DVD too loudly/without headphones, or are carrring on a loud conversation across a few people or across the aisle, the flight attendant will come over and kindly ask you to STFU or GTFO

@Darkjediben: Unfortunately, now we just get deal with people using Skype or surfing for porn in the adjacent seat...

@Rachacha: And the whole assigned-seating thing is a non-issue as well. Due to my job, I often have to book seats at the last minute anyway, so I typically wind up in the last-row center seat either way.

For a two-hour flight, it's not a big deal.

@From the cubicle of PGibbons: Not to mention the inevitable crush of online gamers, porn surfers, and BitTorrent goons clogging up the network.

@cowboyesfan: Southwest has excellent on-time performance, often flies out of secondary airports that are less crowded (shorter TSA lines, easier parking), fewer fees, and the employees don't hate their jobs and so tend to treat their passengers like human beings. And now they're about to offer an additional perk--and be upfront about the fees for it. Meaning they're trying to be airline for the thinking consumer--who more likely than not has a laptop.

@vq35de: What's wrong with porn?

@alors: I believe that's because they set the systems up so they activate only after the flight leaves the ground.

My company sells these, but I have no clue. I DO know that there are patent issues with allowing it to work both on the ground and in the air.