SAS, Telia and Tenzing test wireless e-mail and Internet onboard aircraft
SAS, Telia and Tenzing test wireless e-mail and Internet onboard aircraft SAS has signed an agreement with Telia and Seattle-based Tenzing Communications Inc. to test Tenzing's communications system for wireless Internet access onboard aircraft. SAS passengers will gain access to e- mail and Internet via portable PC or Mac. SAS is the first airline in the world to test wireless e-mail and Internet for passengers onboard an aircraft. The test will begin during 2001. SAS is also working to find a solution so that passengers can gain access to their own company's e-mail system behind a firewall. During the test, passengers will be able to send and receive e-mail and have access to the Internet via an Internet server onboard the aircraft. A LAN (Local Area Network) based on IEEE 802.11b technology, the first standard developed for wireless networks, will be installed in the cabin. Passengers will gain access to the SAS website and other travel-related Internet portals. The onboard server is linked to a ground station when the aircraft is airborne and the content is transmitted and updated at regular intervals. "The new wireless technology creates possibilities for our passengers to gain access to e-mail and Internet onboard and on the ground. Our customers already have access to wireless communications in our SAS lounges through Telia HomeRun," says Jan Olson, head of SAS Products and Service Development. "During 2001, all SAS lounges will be equipped with this wireless network. In future, we will also offer innovative services to make the customer's travel easier. Telia and Tenzing play key roles in this effort." Telia Mobile has installed networks for wireless services at airports and other public areas to provide travelers the possibility of being online throughout their trip. A roaming agreement provides Tenzing Global subscribers and Telia Mobile HomeRun access to each other's wireless network. In future, Tenzing also foresees being able to implement broadband connections onboard aircraft using advanced satellite technology. SAS Jan Olson, Manager, SAS Product and Service Development, +46 (0)8 797 28 32, mobile +46 (0)709 97 28 32. Ulf Thorné, Press Officer SAS, +46 (0)8 797 28 33, +46 (0)709 97 28 33 More information about SAS is available at www.scandinavian.net Telia Mobile More information about Telia Mobile Homerun is available at www.homerun.telia.com Tenzing Communications Inc. Laura Alikpala, Director of Marketing, +1 206 607 2700 laura.alikpala@tenzing.com Agency contact: Megan McQueen Imagio/JWT Public Relations +1 206 625 0252 meganm@imagio.com More information is available at www.tenzing.com SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/01/24/20010124BIT00210/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/01/24/20010124BIT00210/bit0002.pdf