The speed at which technology is advancing will ensure that Wi-Fi access soon becomes standard in commercial aircraft, it has been claimed.
Speaking to telegraph.co.uk, chief executive of Paris-based defence firm Thales, Jean Bernard Levy, said that passengers on all flights should be able to access hotspots within the next “couple of years”, regardless of how far they’re travelling.
He was quoted by gomonews.com as saying: “I think we are on the eve of a big revolution.
“In the near future the cost of that broadband on that plane will fall dramatically so that you can watch TV, access Facebook, or check your bank account while you are on the flight and you’ll be charged like you are today in a hotel.”
Thales is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electronic defence systems, with products and applications relied on in modern warfare as well as public transport and commercial air travel.
While aviation experts have questioned the safety of using cellular systems on aircraft, carriers across the globe have increased their focus on Wi-Fi in recent years, as they attempt to keep gadget-dependent passengers satisfied.
China Eastern Airlines, for example, is set to trial China’s first ever in-flight Wi-Fi system on a plane from Shanghai to Beijing later this week (Wednesday 23).
