Private jets likely to dominate aircraft broadband market - report

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A report from Freesky Research suggests private jets could account for the majority of the aviation broadband market through 2011.

According to Freesky, over the next four years private jets will account for over half of all broadband installations on aircraft. The report suggests that private jets with maximum take-off weights over 50,000 lbs will be one of the leading segments of the market as they have the width to carry most fuselage-mounted antennas. They also sell at prices that make broadband systems a small share of the overall cost of the aircraft, according to David Gross, the author of the report.

Gross also said that, at the same time, 50-seat regional jets in the same weight class will see very few broadband installations as their owners would need a high percentage of passengers to pay per-flight connection fees in order to break-even. Additionally, few commuter airlines see in-flight entertainment as an important service feature.

The report is called "Aviation Broadband Markets" and reportedly looks at the economics between antennas and cabin electronics, and the effect of these on the market for in-flight broadband.

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