Airfone
Encyclopedia
Airfone is a brand of air-ground radiotelephone service
offered by Verizon. Airfone allows passengers to make telephone calls in-flight. It was originated by John D. Goeken
(who also founded MCI Communications
and FTD
's Mercury Network) in the 1970s. Western Union
purchased a fifty percent share in Airfone in 1981 and sold to GTE
in 1986 for $39 million cash. Delta Air Lines
offered the United States's first public air-to-ground telephone system with Airfone. An Airfone telephone is usually located in the seatback of the seat in front of the passenger, there may only be one per row in coach class, while first class may have one per seat. Airfone phone calls are usually quite expensive compared to ground-based telephone calls, costing $3.99 per call and $4.99 per minute in 2006.
Bell Mobility
uses the Airfone technology on Air Canada
flights, but brands its service Skytel (no relation to the Verizon-owned paging firm of the same name).
, and Verizon Wireless
subscribers can pay $10 per month and 10 cents a call or a flat 69 cents per call with no monthly fee. Airfone could be used for very slow modem calls, and attempts at data service were made in 2003 and 2004 using an on-board email proxy server.
division Claircom Communications Group, and was available onboard American Airlines
, Northwest Airlines
, and select Delta Air Lines
aircraft. The Air One service was discontinued in 2002.
Many of the in-flight calls made by victims of 9/11 were made over Airfone and Air One.
The head of the Airfone division told the New York Times in 2004 that only two to three people use the Airfone service per flight. In May and June 2006, the frequencies over which Airfone operated were sold at auction by the Federal Communications Commission
to two new licenseholders. Under the terms of the FCC order that authorized the auction, Verizon received a non-renewable license until 2010, but has two years from the end of the auction to redeploy Airfone to use less bandwidth and share spectrum with one of the license winners.
On June 23, 2006, Verizon Communications, Airfone's parent company, announced that they would be discontinuing their Airfone service on all commercial flights by the end of 2006. They cited the declining use of the service, as well as a desire to focus on their key businesses: broadband, wireless and wireline services. Airfone service is currently installed on 1000 aircraft belonging to United Airlines
and Continental Airlines
. US Airways
and Delta Air Lines
have removed all Airfone handsets from their planes. Verizon will continue to provide service on 3,400 private and government aircraft.
On December 28, 2007 Airfone announced it will discontinue service effective December 31, 2008 unless it successfully concludes negotiations with LiveTV
, an affiliate of JetBlue, to take over the business on that date. On June 9, 2008, JetBlue announced that it will buy Verizon's Airfone service.
Air-ground radiotelephone service
Air-ground radiotelephone service is a method of telephone communications used by aircraft pilots and passengers of commercial airline jets flying over the United States....
offered by Verizon. Airfone allows passengers to make telephone calls in-flight. It was originated by John D. Goeken
John D. Goeken
John D. "Jack" Goeken was a prolific telecommunications entrepreneur. He was the original founder of Microwave Communications Inc., better known as MCI Inc.-Founding of MCI:...
(who also founded MCI Communications
MCI Communications
MCI Communications Corp. was an American telecommunications company that was instrumental in legal and regulatory changes that led to the breakup of the AT&T monopoly of American telephony and ushered in the competitive long-distance telephone industry. It was headquartered in Washington,...
and FTD
Florists' Transworld Delivery
-Going public:In 1994, FTD began a process of demutualization.On December 19, 1994, a precursor to the FTD Corporation, a private, for-profit company, acquired FTD, which then divided FTD into two organizations: FTD Incorporated, a for profit corporation, and FTD Association, a non-profit trade...
's Mercury Network) in the 1970s. Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
purchased a fifty percent share in Airfone in 1981 and sold to GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
in 1986 for $39 million cash. Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
offered the United States's first public air-to-ground telephone system with Airfone. An Airfone telephone is usually located in the seatback of the seat in front of the passenger, there may only be one per row in coach class, while first class may have one per seat. Airfone phone calls are usually quite expensive compared to ground-based telephone calls, costing $3.99 per call and $4.99 per minute in 2006.
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility is a CDMA and HSPA+ based wireless network and the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada...
uses the Airfone technology on Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
flights, but brands its service Skytel (no relation to the Verizon-owned paging firm of the same name).
Details
Calls were often discounted or free for customers of airplane-based catalogs like Sky MallSky Mall
Sky Mall is a specialty publishing firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. SkyMall produces a quarterly in-flight publication, SkyMall, with an annual circulation of approximately 20 million copies distributed in airplane seat pockets...
, and Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
subscribers can pay $10 per month and 10 cents a call or a flat 69 cents per call with no monthly fee. Airfone could be used for very slow modem calls, and attempts at data service were made in 2003 and 2004 using an on-board email proxy server.
History
Airfone's primary competitor was Air One, operated by AT&T WirelessAT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., founded in 1987 as McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., and now legally known as New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., is a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York...
division Claircom Communications Group, and was available onboard American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, and select Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
aircraft. The Air One service was discontinued in 2002.
Many of the in-flight calls made by victims of 9/11 were made over Airfone and Air One.
The head of the Airfone division told the New York Times in 2004 that only two to three people use the Airfone service per flight. In May and June 2006, the frequencies over which Airfone operated were sold at auction by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
to two new licenseholders. Under the terms of the FCC order that authorized the auction, Verizon received a non-renewable license until 2010, but has two years from the end of the auction to redeploy Airfone to use less bandwidth and share spectrum with one of the license winners.
On June 23, 2006, Verizon Communications, Airfone's parent company, announced that they would be discontinuing their Airfone service on all commercial flights by the end of 2006. They cited the declining use of the service, as well as a desire to focus on their key businesses: broadband, wireless and wireline services. Airfone service is currently installed on 1000 aircraft belonging to United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
and Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
. US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
and Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
have removed all Airfone handsets from their planes. Verizon will continue to provide service on 3,400 private and government aircraft.
On December 28, 2007 Airfone announced it will discontinue service effective December 31, 2008 unless it successfully concludes negotiations with LiveTV
LiveTV
LiveTV is a major provider of airline in-flight entertainment systems. Originally a joint venture of Harris Corporation and BE Aerospace , it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways Corporation...
, an affiliate of JetBlue, to take over the business on that date. On June 9, 2008, JetBlue announced that it will buy Verizon's Airfone service.