VoIP Calls on Virgin Flight

Vyke Communications’ 10,000 hotspots to make VoIP calls from was a breathtaking idea. HelloSoft and WiMAX’s daring prospect of VoWiMAX (Voice over Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) – which essentially aims at spreading Wi-Fi and VoIP over entire cities – was even more breathtaking. And just when you thought you could finally release that breath, here’s something to make you inhale like you’ve never done before – VoIP in the Sky! VoIP from HotSpots, VoIP from entire cities… and finally, VoIP in Virgin America Aircrafts.

But wait, release that breath. Here’s the sad part – there’s absolutely no chance of VoIP getting implemented in the flights till at least 2008. But like me, you can picture it, can’t you? No, not the dreamy picture of making VoIP calls from halfway around the sky – that will come later. I’m talking about the big team of think tanks that must have got together, racked their brains collectively, discussed ideas and angles, and had strenuous discussions over how to further improve their service, eventually leading to the brainwave of enabling VoIP over their flights. Well, if you can’t, then bully for you –because unlike what I used to think, that is NOT how brilliant ideas are born. Brilliant ideas are formed when your company chairman almost misses the inaugural flight of the company airlines because of rain and traffic, and then – despite being on the verge of losing his voice– decides to give an interview anyway, in which the idea comes up in the course of the conversation. Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson had to fight against Rain and New York Traffic to reach the airport for the inaugural flight, and then in a voice that was about to be lost because of sore throat, decided to answer a few questions for Paul Miller for Engadget. And voila! While discussing about Internet in Virgin America flights, VoIP suddenly frays into the picture!

It happened like this. Sir Branson was talking about the non-existent of quality service in American Airlines, which led to talks about Virgin’s previously announced declaration of Internet coming in Virgin Flights by 2008. Sir Branson then commented about how – once the Internet was in place – in-flight cellphone usage would become non-existent, as people could use the Internet to communicate with people on the ground. And when Miller discussed the option of ‘technologies like VoIP that would be enabled by the Internet’ becoming a nuisance to a passenger who was not interested in his fellow passenger’s loud talks with his family, Sir Brandon hinted at the possibility of having a couple of rows at the back dedicated to in-flight VoIP calling.

While the interview did not make it specifically clear whether Virgin would install its own IP telephones that would be compatible with major VoIP Service Providers, or whether passengers would be using their own equipment (laptops, VoIP-enabled cell phones etc), one thing is for sure – Internet is definitely coming to Virgin America in 2008, and wherever there’s Internet, there’s cheap, even FREE VoIP.

This article is written by Samarth Chandola, our Full time VOIP News Editor.