WiFi on QF Domestic

[bismarck]

Noticed this article mentions WiFi coming to Qantas domestic.

Qantas announces up to $500m share buyback on record $921m half-year profit

Would be great to be able to watch Netflix on my flights on the Golden Triangle as I usually exhaust everything I'm interested in watching on Q pretty quickly.

 

[blackcat20]

Noticed this article mentions WiFi coming to Qantas domestic.

Qantas announces up to $500m share buyback on record $921m half-year profit

Would be great to be able to watch Netflix on my flights on the Golden Triangle as I usually exhaust everything I'm interested in watching on Q pretty quickly.

15mb limit then its a paid service apparently.

 

[galah]

15mb limit

That's only a bit over 10 x 3.5" floppy disks, to put it in perspective

(edit) OK, not confirmed, but still..

 

[bismarck]

15mb limit then its a paid service apparently.

That's a shame...though probably makes sense.

 

[nlagalle]

15mb limit then its a paid service apparently.

i thought there was no limit.. (unless there is a fair use policy)

Qantas inflight satellite Internet for domestic Australian flights - Australian Business Traveller

 

[samh004]

Looking forward to trying this out in late 2016, or more likely 2017!

 

[Limewood]

I do hope headphones are a must watching from portable devices and no phone calls I do not want to hear passengers babling away.

 

[Gaspode]

i thought there was no limit.. (unless there is a fair use policy)

Qantas inflight satellite Internet for domestic Australian flights - Australian Business Traveller

It won't be without limit. All you need is one person deciding to watch Netflix, or updating their dropbox, or a few people streaming their favorite radio station and there would be no bandwidth available for anyone else on the plane.

 

[opusman]

It seems extremely unlikely there would be enough bandwidth for Netflix, even Spotify might be pushing it. Think email / bookface.

 

[clazman]

Interesting to see what this service cost Qantas as sat services are not cheap...

 

[Adamtram]

In the article it states from Joyce

"It means streaming your favourite TV show or movie from Sydney to Perth," he said. "Or watching an entire cricket or rugby or football game in real time. It will be that fast."

He went on to say it would be free.

My assumption on this would be streaming Netflix or Foxtel GO

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

In the article it states from Joyce

"It means streaming your favourite TV show or movie from Sydney to Perth," he said. "Or watching an entire cricket or rugby or football game in real time. It will be that fast."

He went on to say it would be free.

My assumption on this would be streaming Netflix or Foxtel GO

I wonder if he actually knows anything about it?

It would be very surprising if there was sufficient bandwidth to video stream, especially when you are looking at one maybe two satellite receivers onboard serving 150+ customers. Sure everyone won't use it initially, but once it becomes common across the fleet I can't imagine streaming will be possible. Happy to be proven wrong however, and the new NBN satellite is pretty impressive. It would want to be for what we taxpayers are paying for it...!

 

[RooFlyer]

In an e-mail from CEO of Qantas 'loyalty':

Members can also lookforward to high-speed inflight Wi-Fi under a partnership with global technologyservices company ViaSat that will tap into the National Broadband Network.In-flight trials are expected to begin in late 2016.A roll-out across Qantas Domestic’s fleet of A330s and B737s is planned fromthe start of 2017. Delivering value for money to our customers is extremelyimportant to us. That’s why we’ll be offering free Wi-Fi access on top of allthe other things that are included when you fly Qantas.

One thing I've learned is not to take anything Qantas says at face value. "Access" may be free but "content" could well be paid. "Excess content #" could be paid.

# Under 'simpler and fairer'[SUP]TM[/SUP] "excess content" will be defined as >1 MB of usage.

Its fairly easy, I'm told, to configure wi-fi services to block various categories of content. cough is an obvious one, but also high bandwidth things like Windows Updates, Netflix etc.

And nothing will be 'free' in a gross sense. Remember that we are all paying for high fuel prices as part of the base fare now. Pretty easy to make a profit when you are charging (by comparison, not actual obviously) 1.60/litre for fuel when the price you buy it is $1.10.

 

[DavidFlynn]

15mb limit then its a paid service apparently.

Don't know where you got that from but it's not correct – it's free, without any data cap.

 

[RooFlyer]

Don't know where you got that from but it's not correct – it's free, without any data cap.

Great. Can you provide source for the info, please?

 

[alieninperth]

Don't EY provide some sporting events live streamed. Some F1 races, football (well some Man City games) and the racing? I must admit, I've never really watched it as there is little there to interest me. I think they might also stream BBCNews24.

Granted these are different as there are only a few streams which are then fed to the media boxes but the tech is there.

 

[Limewood]

and wait till JQ get hold of it

 

[samh004]

and wait till JQ get hold of it

Extra revenue source for them, assuming anyone actually pays for the extras?

Not to go off topic but I assume their main income source is those who have gone overweight with baggage, not those buying entertainment packs onboard

 

[DavidFlynn]

Great. Can you provide source for the info, please?

Qantas Newsroom has the press release, but also, I was at the presser and quizzed QF staff on this. As far as everybody knows it's as free as free can get.

 

[medhead]

As this is domestic only is there any reason they'd need to be limited to satellite connections over places like the east coast. I can get decent mobile service all the way out to Woomera these days. Surely there would be suitable terrestrial based options in many locations.