South African jetsetters no longer have to forgo Internet connectivity, e-mail communication, SMS-services and even IPTV at 35000 feet.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved an application by WirelessG and Row 44’s to install its in-flight Wi-Fi enabling equipment onboard South African commercial aircraft. The approval will enable WirelessG to operate its G-Connect broadband services aboard commercial aircraft in South African skies.
“Although we still await quality assurance of the final installation, the CAA is proud to announce its consent for the use of this technology in South Africa especially as it is a South African company that will exclusively offer the service.” said Subash Devkaran, Senior Manager: Aircraft Certification at CAA.
Devkaran stated that although this new innovation will contribute greatly to South African industrial competitiveness in the global arena, the CAA’s first and foremost concern still remains passenger safety. The in-flight Wi-Fi technology has been rigorously tested by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The CAA’s approval of WirelessG’s in-flight Wi-Fi services was approved in a matter of weeks, following the safety endorsement and issuing of a supplemental type certificate (STC) release from Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the United States and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to equip 737-800 series commercial aircraft and operate Wi-Fi services.
According to Devkaran, the in-flight STC allows for the use of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device. GSM still has to be switched off when using dual model devices, but airlines equipped with this technology, may now apply for special exemption from the CAA to accommodate the use of Wi-Fi only with such phones.
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