U.K. Grants License To Connexion By Boeing

Communications Today, July 25, 2002

The British government has given regulatory approval for Connexion by Boeing to provide airlines and passengers broadband in-flight access to the Internet, corporate intranets, email and other data services.

The authorization would allow Boeing's [BA] venture to use a range of radio frequencies. The satellite network operator license granted by the U.K. Radiocommunications Agency would help to lay the foundation for three-month demonstrations of the Connexion by Boeing service by British Airways [BAB] and Lufthansa [DLAKY] on routes between Europe and the United States scheduled for the first quarter next year, Boeing officials said.

The approval was "essential" to meet the requirement of giving customers a system that is service ready, said Scott Carson, president of Connexion by Boeing. Authorizations also have been received from similar agencies in Germany, Canada and the United States.