A senior Iranian transportation official says airlines in the country are preparing to offer satellite-based in-flight Wi-Fi service as access to high-speed internet during flights becomes more necessary for passengers.
Shahram Adamnejad, a deputy transportation minister, said on Saturday that major government departments, including Iran’s ministry of communications, were contributing to plans to launch satellite internet service during flights by Iranian carriers.
“Domestic private companies providing satellite services are now capable of offering (in-flight Wi-Fi) services through the hub inside the country and international satellites,” Adamnejad told the IRNA agency, adding that airlines were carrying out feasibility studies on the issue.
The official said a full launch of in-flight Wi-Fi by Iranian airlines would significantly boost entertainment services offered across the transportation system in the country, including on rail and in shipping.
Officials in Iranian Space Agency said last month that they were working with Iran Civil Aviation Organization to speed up the launch of internet services during flights by Iranian airlines.
Some Iranian carriers have been offering internet to their VIP passengers through air-to-ground (ATG), a technology which means the service could be very slow in places where the coverage is poor.