High Speed Internet At 35,000 feet

Staying connected is essential for government officials – even the President of the United States:

Once you have broadband, you never want to go back, which is presumably why the Air Force Air Mobility Command and the Defense Information Systems Agency are looking for commercial satellite communication firms to continue to provide high-speed Internet service on the fly to Air Force One and the other 17 planes that fly senior leaders around the world.

… While internal Air Force budget documents indicate the service is satisfied with Boeing, whose airborne broadband contract runs through fiscal 2008, the Air Force's request for proposals seeks alternative suppliers capable of providing broadband voice, video, data and video teleconferencing services to the VIP fleet, with 50 or more users connected at the same time.

A high speed internet connection gives our leaders the ability to seamlessly perform their duties from their office virtually anywhere--even when traveling at 35,000 feet in one of the executive jets the government operates.

The leaders of our country depend on high speed internet, but the government needs to look beyond Air Force One. It’s important for every American to have access to a high speed internet connection; from the doctor down the street consulting with doctors in a hospital hours away, to the small businessman trying to compete in a global economy, to the farmer working the fields to produce our nation’s food supply.

Creating a national policy for universal high speed internet access is the only way to ensure all Americans will get high speed internet access in a timely manner. It’s time for the Congress and those in the Executive branch to recognize the importance and begin working with the private sector to build out the nation’s high speed internet infrastructure.