Lufthansa re-launches inflight internet

From the middle of next year, Lufthansa's customers will once again enjoy the full freedom to communicate via the internet above the clouds as the airline relaunches FlyNet, its on-board broadband Internet service. In addition, the new service will permit inflight data transfer over standard GSM/GPRS mobile networks.

Thanks to FlyNet, Lufthansa passengers will soon not only have WLAN internet access but will also be able to send SMS messages by mobile phone and transfer data via smartphones such as PDA, iPhone or BlackBerry devices. Together with its new business partner Panasonic, Lufthansa aims to equip a major part of its long-range fleet with FlyNet within the first year of operation.

Lufthansa is deliberately focusing on high bandwidth as the main requirement for the unrestricted use of such services as web surfing, email/file transfer including attachments and the Virtual Private Network.

In addition, only wide bandwidth will enable potential future operational applications such as telemedicine for the transmission of a patient's vital parameters to a ground station.