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In-flight internet access for airline passengers may be provided via laser systems as early as the middle of next year, the European Space Agency has claimed.
The UltraAir concept stems from a collaboration between satellite manufacturer Airbus and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.
The laser-based tech could replace existing satcom radio-frequency systems, whose bands are experiencing bottlenecks as demand for satellite services grows.
Ground-based tests of the system are expected to begin later this year in Germany, with the first in-flight trial, connecting down to Earth, expected for early-2022.
It is expected that UltraAir will ultimately be able to reach data transmission rates of several gigabits-per-second and will be nearly impossible to jam or intercept.