Fly the United Friendly Skies with Wi-Fi

By Digital Trends Staff June 6, 2005

Flying the friendly skies will soon be even more entertaining as United Airlines and Verizon today announced they have become the first American companies to receive FAA approval to install cabin equipment while will enable wireless Internet access while inflight.

The companies, according to a press release, received approval only after they were able to successfully demonstrate that usage of 802.11 wireless technology did not interfere with normal airborne operations. The approval currently applies to the cabin of United’s B757-200 aircraft. It is part of a larger strategy to enable Wi-Fi on board all United airplanes.

Flyers will not be able to immediately begin whipping out their wireless laptops however. The FCC has a scheduled â€œAir-to-Groundâ€ spectrum auction coming up in the next few months, at which time providers will bid for service rights and range of frequencies. United will most likely seek to contract with one of these providers once the rights have been awarded.

“Our research shows that connecting to the Internet is customers’ most preferred form of communication to the ground, and this certification is a crucial step to bring this inflight wireless access to our customers,” said Dennis Cary, United’s senior vice president-Marketing. “We are thrilled by this accomplishment and proud to lead the industry in North America with Verizon Airfone in this endeavor.”

Editors' Recommendations

Digital Trends Staff

Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…

Computing

How to get Wi-Fi access anywhere at any time

The Netgear Nighthawk AXE11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router on a table.

If you can't get Wi-Fi access at home, you're probably wondering what your options are or even if you have any options. You do! Your options for Wi-Fi access will vary depending on your own personal situation, but our guide below will show you what kinds of Wi-Fi access is available to you, should you find yourself without Wi-Fi at home.
Let's take a look at some free and paid ways to get Wi-Fi access.

If driving/commuting is an option

Computing

Best router deals: Save on mesh networks and Wi-Fi 6 routers

The Netgear Nighthawk AXE11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router on a table.

Strangely enough, routers have had a huge technological bump in the last few years due to the number of devices that need to be connected to the internet. That's one of the main aspects of the new Wi-Fi 6, a standard that not only increases speeds and quality of the connection but addresses the issue with ten devices or more needing to connect to the internet constantly without impacting quality. To that end, if you haven't upgraded your router or mesh network in three to five or more years but are increasingly buying more smart-home products, grabbing a modern router with the latest technology is probably a good idea.

Best Router Deals

Computing

These are the best Wi-Fi routers for 2023

Netgear's Nighthawk RAXE500 tri-band router.

If you are looking to improve your wireless network speeds, then you should probably think about upgrading your router, especially if you indulge in streaming high-definition videos or online gaming. Going for a new router model can also help enhance the extent of wireless coverage, thus allowing seamless usage throughout your home or office space. Among the options available, we particularly recommend Netgear's Nighthawk RAXE300, which impressively combines a plethora of features.

In addition to our top pick, we've reviewed and compared some of the latest router models to curate a selection of the finest Wi-Fi routers currently on the market. Have a look at our recommendations below to gain insights into which device aligns best with your requirements. Whether you're seeking a Wi-Fi 6 router, a budget-conscious alternative, or the ultimate choice for gaming, we have your preferences covered.