Wi-Fi access to be offered in cars

The Wall Street Journal reports RaySat Inc., a Vienna, VA-based company, says it has developed a satellite antenna that can turn a moving car into a rolling "hot spot" -- with Internet access for any onboard laptop or pocket computer equipped with the wireless-networking technology known as Wi-Fi.

RaySat's antenna alone is expected to start at nearly $3,500 when it becomes available in Q3. That's before any monthly service charges.

Nevertheless, RaySat expects to find a ready market for a satellite-based service among long-haul truckers, emergency personnel and other people who are frequently out of range of other wireless networks and are frustrated about it.

"The people who want it are dying for it," said Samer Salameh, RaySat's CEO.

The company already sells antennas for delivering satellite-based Internet access to high-speed trains in Europe. It also has developed an antenna that allows cars to receive satellite-TV broadcasts, a market where rivals include KVH Industries Inc.

RaySat's satellite antenna for Wi-Fi is meant to be mounted on the top of the vehicle, but its size makes it best suited for an SUV.

Salameh predicts that monthly access charges will range from $50 to $200.

Locking on to a satellite signal from a moving vehicle requires formidable technology. RaySat's current TV antenna fits inside a housing that is about 30 inches across and 5 inches high, an aesthetic issue for anything smaller than a sport-utility vehicle, Salameh concedes. Inside the housing, the antenna rotates and has panels that move up and down and back and forth to remain properly oriented to the nearest satellite. RaySat expects users to be able to download data at as much as two megabits a second, and upload data at 128 kilobits a second.

Cellular carriers are now offering wireless data services in some cities with top speeds of as much as two megabits, and average speeds ranging from 60 to 500 kilobits. Terrestrial wireless data services are improving in speed and expanding in territory, posing competition for a satellite-based service in many parts of the country. Verizon Wireless is aggressively rolling out wireless broadband (WiFi using its cellular phone infrastructure). The service is only $80 a month - - more expensive than a wired broadband connection, but pretty affordable for someone who spends a lot of time on the road. One can get seamless coverage in many areas, including San Diego up to San Francisco along I-5. See: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions/broadband/index.jsp