Delta Air Lines has announced big Wi-Fi plans for next year, when passengers traveling throughout the continental United States will benefit from in-flight Internet services in first and economy classes.  The company said the service will expand to more than 330 of its aircrafts.

The U.S. carrier said Aircell will be responsible for installing the Mobile Broadband Network on the domestic fleet. The system is called Gogo, and will ensure broadband access to Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones or PDAs. The services will include Internet access, as well as access to corporate VPNs, corporate and personal e-mail accounts, SMS texting and instant messaging.

Cellphones however are an entirely different story. In-flight cellphone use still remains prohibited in the United States (however, the Europeans don’t face the same problem. The European Commission decided in April this year that passengers will be able to use their cellphones during flights, all without risking the safety of the aircraft equipment, and hopefully without annoying other passengers).

“Delta remains committed to providing a travel experience that maximizes the time our customers spend with us onboard by offering them even more productivity options,” said Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer, also adding that the new service is in fact a response to customer demands for in-flight connectivity. 

Delta said Gogo will be available for a flat fee of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights longer than three hours. The service will initially be available on Delta’s fleet of 133 MD88/90 aircraft, but it will rapidly expand to the remaining domestic fleet of over 200 Boeing 737, 757 and 767-300 aircrafts, all throughout the first half of 2009.

Aircell, which is the world leading provider of airborne communications, will ensure a consistent, convenient experience for customers travelling on the Delta airline who wish to use the Gogo Internet service, the carrier explained.

“The advent for Air-To-ground (ATG) technology has made broadband connectivity in the cabin economically viable for the first time for commercial airlines,” said Jack Blumenstein, President and CEO of Aircell. He also added that now the game has changed, and Delta Air Lines will be among the first to provide an enhanced broadband experience to their customers, by offering Wi-Fi services on more than 1,000 daily flights in continental U.S.

Delta explained that in addition to being the most cost-effective in-flight broadband technology available, the Aircell system is also extremely light, occupying a minimal space, it requires little time to install and it ensures a lucrative investment in a competitive, high fuel-price environment.

Gogo is compatible with smartphones and well as other handheld devices equipped with Wi-Fi, offered by major carriers such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Apple and Nokia (Symbian S60). In order to benefit from Gogo, laptops need to have a supported browser and 802.11 a/b/g wireless capability.

Customers will be able to access the Internet once the aircraft reaches 10,000 feet and the captain gives the okay to turn on the devices. The connection may be temporarily lost if the domestic flights ever leave the U.S. airspace. The financial terms between Delta and Aircell have not been disclosed.

Gogo will soon become available on several American Airlines flights, totaling over 180 flights per week. The first American Airlines flights to benefit from Gogo will be following the routes New York (JFK) – San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK) – Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK) – Miami (MIA).