NetJets orders Aircell Wi-Fi equipment for 250 aircraft

Computerworld - Wi-Fi seems to be just about everywhere these days, so why not on your next private jet flight?

NetJets Inc. is betting that its business customers want Wi-Fi access to e-mail, corporate VPNs and even the latest Alternative Rock releases over Pandora at 41,000 feet.

The Berkshire Hathaway company has selected Aircell technology to outfit more than 250 of its fleet of 800 private aircraft. The service will be installed this summer on the mid-size and large-cabin aircraft NetJets operates.

NetJets operates a "fractional" aircraft ownership model, where individuals and companies buy shares of a private business jet, which can be available to use with a few hours' notice.

Netjets will offer the Wi-Fi service to its fractional owners at no added charge.

Aircell has already equipped nearly 1,000 commercial jets on eight U.S. carriers with Gogo Wi-Fi , which costs $5 to $13 based on the number of hours of use. Aircell of Itasca, Ill., actually launched its Wi-Fi service for business aircraft a year ago, according to a company representative, but the NetJets purchase is its largest in business aviation to date.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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