Anyone will tell you that flights are exorbitantly priced, especially when you realize how mediocre the on-flight meals usually are. In such cases, how can you cover up for the money that you spend? One of the easiest ways to make up for the exorbitant prices that you pay is to use the free Wi-Fi facility available. All jokes aside, this isn’t a how to use the airplane WIFI tutorial article. In fact, through this article, you will get to understand the mechanisms of the Airplane WI-Fi and how it works.
Before we start – A point to note
Not every airline offers the free Wi-Fi system onboard. Due to the fact that the signals can interfere with the systems, most of the airline carriers do not recommend people using the Wi-Fi system onboard the aircraft. It is always better to find out while booking your trip. As the saying goes, It is better to be safe than sorry. Even if you do have a chance, you will be informed when you can use the WI-Fi system onbard the flight.
How does Wi-Fi work inside a plane?
Planes are stunning products of engineering which awes and fascinates us. Plus, the workings of available internet on an enclosed oval pod, high in the sky, baffle the mind. So, Wi-Fi on airplanes how does it work? One way is through the land based connection. The aircraft’s base has antennas which pick up the signals from the broadband towers. Needless to say, the connectivity is sporadic and poor as the aircraft has to be around one of these towers. Don’t expect to get Google assistant over the Pacific.
Another way is through satellite technology -the geostationary objects orbiting our planet, which also transmit all Television signals. Again the same antennas are also present on the top of the plane,which receives these signals. The airplane has a router which distributes it to everyone aboard. The mechanism is pretty basic in theory; but practically, it still isn’t perfect.
How to use the airplane Wi-Fi?
Most of these involve your own phone but we are so caught up in the getting planted activities we oversee these bits. Make sure your Wifi mode is correct- meaning it is on and you can see the invisible inverted triangle. You can check the network and usually an abbreviated version of the Wi-Fi. Click on it and wait- It should connect after sometime. Of course make sure you do all this when the flight is well on course. The Airplane mode is meant to be used till the flight is on cruise mode sometime into the journey. Also keep in mind that unless stated otherwise, it costs money to use the internet. The antennas are known to increase drag which cost fuel money. The first few minutes are usually free of cost and then a certain amount is to be paid to continue surfing to a certain data limit.
Final thoughts
Inflight Wi-Fi is still in its infancy- only about eight airlines offer free Wi-Fi. Not to mention the connection would be slow if not intermittent. There are way too many devices operating at the same time, let alone connection loss due to the lack of a stable connection. A how to use airplane Wifi guide is fine to get a basic understanding of how things are right now. Technological progress in time will sort the logistics issue, but for now, this is how one should go about if they want to be connected up in the sky.