Can VoIP Fly?
Wireless Internet is rapidly taking to the airways and that leaves some people wondering whether VoIP services on planes will make en-route calling a possibility. Airline carriers are attempting to adapt to the varied needs of all of their customers by allowing in-flight wireless connections but are considering limiting those connections to reduce hassles on their flights. One of the wireless services that might be cut from the list of services is in-flight VoIP.
VoIP News recently reported on in-flight VoIP and the limitations that might be imposed by carriers as the details of the service are sorted out. While they note that there are pros and cons to the service, they focus on one key point of on-plane VoIP that gives cause for many people to oppose it: the annoyance factor. They ask readers to consider whether they really want the person sitting next to them on a cross-country flight to be able to sit and talk on the phone throughout the duration of the plane ride. Consider the couples who will be fighting about extended separations and the Chatty Cathy who can’t stop detailing her day to friends … and you might consider getting on the anti-VoIP-in-air bandwagon.
However, there are benefits to having VoIP capability in the air. For one thing, many business travelers do an extensive amount of traveling. This can result in missing out on important calls and conference calls because of lack of connectivity while in the air. A business person who uses the phone as a basis for business will find that VoIP can boost their bottom line.
More importantly, VoIP these days is about more than just taking phone calls. It’s about synchronizing phone calls with the data that is available to you on the Internet. There are push-to-email and push-to-voice features of VoIP systems which make it possible to transition easily between these forms of communication. Instant messaging, file sharing and data tracking are all a part of the VoIP system. The benefits of being able to access these tools – even without the voice features – while in the air could outweigh the negatives associated with in-flight VoIP calling.
It seems that there must be a happy medium that will satisfy business people who need VoIP with long-distance travelers who need their sleep on the plane. Limiting voice calls with higher rates for higher bandwidth, making a “no voice rule” which allows business people to still access the other features of their VoIP systems and establishing other clear-cut rules for VoIP use could make more sense than cutting out the feature altogether.
It’s time that airlines went for an upgrade (after all, they’re still using those “no smoking in the cabin” signals which should be obvious by now) but they’ll have to work hard to work out the details of accessing new technology while in the air. Unfortunately, the better the technology, the higher the security risk on planes. Balancing out how to make the transition to in-air communication with maintaining the safety of the flight isn’t going to be easy. But it’s something that our society is demanding must be done.
Question of the Day: As a business person, would you want to see VoIP available on planes?
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