Digital Home Thoughts: Inflight Online: Panasonic reaches for the Connexion torch

“Just when the Inmarsat community was relishing the prospect of an unobstructed run at the passenger broadband market, Panasonic has announced a plan to take up where Connexion by Boeing left off. The IFE giant has no intention of rushing in, though, and will not launch unless it has commitments covering a critical mass of aircraft. We have a complete system designed, developed and ready to go,” strategic marketing director David Bruner told Inflight Online at the WAEA show in Miami Beach last week. “But we’re determined to avoid one of the things that brought Connexion down – lack of an initial fleet big enough to assure acceptable pricing for the airlines.”



While not the usual story you would find at Digital Media Thoughts, this one might be interesting to our readers who take their gadgets with them on vacation or business. Personally I am divided. On one hand I would love to surf the net or write a couple of e-mails while I have some down time on a plane. On the other hand I don’t want to be on a plane listening to 20 separate cell phone conversations with no where to escape! Maybe it is time to buy some noise canceling headphones…