The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it has enacted a ‘Report and Order’ concerning rules regulating in-flight Internet services. Since 2001, the FCC has authorized several companies to operate Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft (ESAA). An ESAA is a device installed on the outside of a plane to connect to, according to the agency, “Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) geostationary-orbit (GSO) space stations.” In short, placing an ESAA on an aircraft helps it to send and receive information, allowing for in-flight broadband. To bolster in-flight Internet access the FCC’s new Report and Order will help more companies get involved with ESAA technology. In its own words, the new rules formalize ESAA technology as a “licensed application in the FSS and establishes a regulatory framework for processing applications.” The Report and Order has in place safeguards to prevent radio interference, as you might expect.
