Relax - More SIA jets to offer Net, mobile services

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SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines (SIA) is investing $50 million to provide Internet and mobile data services to customers, even when flying at 35,000 feet.

Its In-Flight Connectivity is now available on 14 aircraft in the fleet, including all five Airbus A340-500s which operate on the world's longest non-stop flights, between Singapore and Newark and Singapore and Los Angeles. Services have also been extended to more markets such as Australia, for which regulatory approvals had not previously been obtained.

The service upgrade enables travellers to surf the Internet, send and receive email messages on smartphones and other electronic devices, and send and receive SMS text messages with GSM-compatible mobile phones.

Through a partnership with connectivity provider OnAir, the technology will be progressively rolled out across all of SIA's long-haul Airbus A380-800, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft over the next two years. SIA said services will be offered on routes on which the equipped aircraft are deployed, subject to regulatory approvals from individual countries. Details are published in the airline's KrisWorld in-flight entertainment magazine.

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But the service is not free. Promotional prices, which will last until Nov 30, 2012, are US$25 for 30 megabytes of data and US$10 for 10 megabytes of data. The previous plans cost US$29.95 for 26 megabytes and US$11.95 for 10 megabytes.

In a joint promotion with SingTel, SingTel mobile subscribers will enjoy discounted roaming rates of up to 40 per cent for in-flight text messaging and GPRS data services, as well as up to 20 per cent for incoming and outgoing voice calls. The discounted roaming rates are displayed on SingTel's corporate website and the joint promotion will last until March 31, 2013.

"As our customers' preferences towards entertainment and connectivity options change over time, so must we," said SIA's senior vice-president product & services Tan Pee Teck. "Mobile and Internet connectivity capabilities are just the start, enabling our customers to stay connected even when flying at 35,000 feet. There will be much more investment in the months and years ahead to keep our customers both connected and entertained."

In addition to the US$50 million investment in In-Flight Connectivity services, SIA said it is working on taking the next generation of in-flight entertainment offerings to customers. This will include the latest hardware systems with new screen and handset technology, in addition to much more video and audio content.

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More SIA jets to offer Net, mobile services

By Ven Sreenivasan, The Business Times | Fri, Sep 7 2012

SIA'S In-Flight Connectivity is now available on 14 aircraft in the fleet.

More SIA jets to offer Net, mobile services

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SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines (SIA) is investing $50 million to provide Internet and mobile data services to customers, even when flying at 35,000 feet.

Read also:
Singapore Airlines to spend $20m upgrading lounges

Singapore Airlines revamps cabins as rivals catch up

Singapore Airlines clings to luxury as budget carriers thrive

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