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[Satellite News 06-09-11] Major airlines are confident that the market for in-flight entertainment and connectivity services is going to heat up during the next year as investments in satellite-based solutions and consumer offerings remain at the forefront of business strategies.
Emirates Airlines, one of the world's most highly rated carriers, has worked to be one of the innovators in bringing sophisticated connectivity options to passengers. In the first piece of this two-part interview, Emirates Airlines Vice President Patrick Brannelly spoke with Satellite News about how the mobile satellite sector has approached the commercial airline industry with next generation connectivity technology and whether or not Emirates is ready to make the investment.
Satellite News: Are you looking to expand the range of connectivity services available to passengers?
Brannelly: At the moment, we have voice and SMS. In the future, we will have GPRS services available on two to three aircraft in the near future. It is already fitted on one aircraft. This allows people to check emails and use their Blackberries. People talk about having the broadband experience they have at home while flying and that is a big challenge to do on an aircraft. A more narrowband form of connectivity that allows you to catch-up with news headlines, do email or light Internet browsing is the next step.
Satellite News: What is the timeline for reaching this next step?
Brannelly: If you really...