Airline Passengers Expect High Performance Wi-Fi and Streaming Video

In the highly competitive air travel market, airlines can differentiate their offerings by providing an outstanding in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) experience.

But satisfying today’s passengers is challenging when they carry incredible riches of entertainment, information and connectivity with them onboard.  These savvy digital consumers expect to connect and be entertained wherever they go, including on board a plane at 30,000 feet. And a great deal of that expectation rests on streaming video.

The traditional walled garden IFEC model, where airlines work with media and technology companies to curate and distribute a limited catalogue, is no longer satisfactory for most passengers.

The move is on to solve this problem, with many airlines offering passengers access to the rich offerings enabled by over-the-top (OTT) internet-based streaming services through onboard Wi-Fi. But feeding the voracious appetite for entertainment through the limited and expensive ground-to-air Internet connectivity has clear limitations that will result in quality issues and unhappy passengers, while also creating a wedge between the airline’s IFE and IFC offering.

This paper will look at the current issues faced when trying to meet passenger demands for an at-home equivalent inflight experience, particularly streaming video, and how innovative airlines are working with both content providers and IFEC companies to address these challenges and deliver a unified IFEC of the future that give passengers what they want.