Vueling and Telefónica have reached an agreement to implement a high-speed wifi service in aircrafts, so that users will have a very similar navigation experience to that enjoyed on the ground.

Thanks to this agreement, four of Vueling's Airbus A320s will have the service available during this year, making it the first European company to offer high-speed wifi, thereby laying the foundations for what the on-board connectivity model will be like. To date, this kind of data access was not possible on short distances in Europe such as Madrid-Barcelona, for example. This opens up a world of possibilities for passengers: consulting and answering email, updating their statuses on social networks or being connected to news and events in real time, among many other possibilities.

Telefónica will be responsible for integrating LiveTV onboard systems and high-speed satellite terminals from ViaSat with Eutelsat AIR ACCESS mobile service via its KA-SAT satellite to provide a complete internet access solution in the air.

Ka band satellite systems are unique for being able to offer a 20Mbps user experience in-flight that is similar to ADSL in the home. This makes a real difference compared to what is currently available. Though there are other technologies in the market, a new generation of Ka band satellites, also called High Throughput Satellites (HTS), enables passengers to use their electronic devices (smartphones or tablets) during the flight as if they were on the ground.

Telefónica has selected Eutelsat as provider of the satellite network and mobile service, while LiveTV will provide all the equipment on board the aircraft. LiveTV is also in charge of the process of obtaining the necessary certifications (STC) from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the use of this technology in Vueling's Airbus A320s.