[FedCom] Boeing to End Its Service for Using Internet Aloft - New York Times

[gary]

My barely educated guess would be they would still use the INMARSAT 
services, since that plug isn't being pulled (unless I read your post 
incorrectly). I've seen the FAA service records for some CIA aircraft 
(gray of course), and they have INMARSAT installed.

A bit OT, but the civilian "Janet" aircraft that fly to Groom Lake have 
UHF mil air in them, making them a bit less civilian in my book.

I've scanned the Verizon airfone system at times, and it is barely used. 
The channel spacing is kind of funny. It helps to have a scanner that 
can handle an offset in addition to a step size if you want to hit all 
the channels dead on.

If I knew AF1 was using it, I would have scanned airfone more often.

http://www.lazygranch.com/images/ttr/brock/airfone2.jpg
I assume airfone does some beam steering given the 3 antenna setup.
[Referring page at
http://www.lazygranch.com/brock.htm ]


David I. Emery wrote:
> 	The following news item appeared in the August 18th NY Times..
> 
> 	Which raises a very interesting question.   For the last 10
> years or so WHCA (the White House Communication Agency) and 89 SAM
> (Andrews VIP missions) have depended on three commercial communications
> systems to provide the bulk of the telephone and data communications
> (secure and clear) with Air Force One, Air Force Two and other VIP
> aircraft carrying high officials of the US government as the fly around
> the country and the globe.
> 
> 	These three systems are the 894-896 mhz Verizon AirFone system
> (via Magnavox Magnastar transceivers),  1.5/1.6 ghz INMARSAT Aero H, H+
> and I (via Collins and other INMARSAT transceivers) (and GANS recently)
> and since its introduction a few years back Boeing Connexxion (14/11 ghz
> Ku band).

<snip>