JetBlue taps Yahoo, RIM for in-flight Wi-Fi test

The low-cost business-centric airline plans to outfit its planes with Wi-Fi so that passengers can access portions of the net while in the air.

While the full Internet would not be available, customers will be able to access their Yahoo e-mail accounts and Yahoo Messenger. Those with Wi-Fi capable Blackberries can access personal and corporate e-mail.

JetBlue says that it cannot offer passengers full Internet due to bandwidth constraints. Even the Yahoo content it provides will need to be scaled down due to that fact, it admitted.

The spectrum needed to distribute the service in-flight will come from JetBlue's own LiveTV subsidiary, which acquired the frequencies from the FCC last year for $7 million. Since it uses Wi-Fi and not cellular technology, airlines will be able to use it in the air, since it has been approved for use by the FAA.

Only one plane has so far been outfitted with the technology, nicknamed "BetaBlue." (Nice name.) While the first flight is scheduled for next Tuesday from New York to San Francisco, the plane will likely be rotated throughout the air carrier's existing routes.

During takeoff and landing passengers will need to turn their electronics devices off as usual, and as the steward will likely remind everyone. At the very least, users accessing services through their BlackBerry will need to switch their cellular reception off.

JetBlue is not the only airliner considering in-flight Internet: American Airlines is in the process of getting ready to test a similar service, and Virgin America plans to roll out its program next year.