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Re: [OT] Connexion {Was: Re: [routing-wg]BGP Update Report}

  • From: Marshall Eubanks
  • Date: Sun Sep 10 15:36:20 2006

There is still interest in this technology at Boeing and elsewhere, and
there will probably be a BOF on the problems associated with large mobile networks at the
San Diego IETF this Fall. Anyone interested in the technology at the IP level can let me know and I will
make sure you get the announcements.

As for the business side of it, there are other uses for network connectivity on a modern aircraft
besides searching the web.

Regards
Marshall

On Sep 10, 2006, at 2:04 PM, Robert E.Seastrom wrote:

Richard A Steenbergen <[email protected]> writes:
Duh. Did you ever read the numbers for Connexion? They managed to design a
system which cost the airlines up to $1mil per plane to install, and only
generated $80k/yr/plane total revenue (thats Boeing revenue not airline
revenue). They had an opex of something like $150mil/yr on total revenue
of $11mil/yr.
Now this is interesting.  $80k/year, $25 a shot = 3200 users per
aircraft per year.  Assume long-haul aircraft that daily average two
flights per day, 320 days per year (to keep it easy), that means the
average number of users on a flight is...  5.

Someone's marketing department was asleep at the switch, I think.
Obviously there is no such thing as an FAA certified $50 Linksys WRT54G,
but it never fails to amaze me how people are utterly shocked when reality
catches up with their wild, unchecked, and stupid spending. :)
My recollection is that they were using fairly off the shelf stuff
though, 3548s and Aironet 1200s if memory serves.  It's poking holes
in the fuselage for the antenna, and the satellite antenna itself,
that costs the big bucks.

                                        ---rob