Illustration from Google’s patent application for a Connected Flight Mode
With the Connected Flight Mode enabled as outlined in the patent application, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity remains open for use on the plane. The feature would also allow the device connected to Wi-Fi to operate as though it was connected to the same “high bandwidth capabilities and un-metered use” as the Wi-Fi you use on the ground. Thus, the inflight Wi-Fi would get treated the same as other Wi-Fi networks.
What does this mean? Google explains. “Therefore, processes which use a lot of bandwidth, such as photo backups, may still execute while on a flight regardless of actual flight network capacities and qualities and thus can take up a significant amount of the limited resources of the plane’s internet connectivity. The disclosed technology can automatically switch a connected flight mode on before or during a flight to provide portable computing devices with granular levels of connectivity.”
This sounds like a cool idea although Google is still working on this. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Connected Flight Mode becomes a reality on Android.
