Jacobs said Qualcomm has already applied for FAA approval and plans to demonstrate the system to FAA and airline officials in Washington in November. He declined to say how much the system would cost, but said it could be installed on commercial planes within a year.
But just like any new technology, the new systems have plenty of glitches.
During Qualcomm's demonstration, for example, audio communication between Jacobs, on the ground, and pilot Phil Laisney was lost several times while the plane was flying over southern California, apparently because of a malfunctioning headset. And while passengers on the plane and a support team on the ground exchanged e-mails and sent digital photos to each other, the video transmitted over the Internet system could only let observers see activity in limited areas of the cockpit and cabin.
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