November 30, 2010 —
Broadband Internet access now available on-board Lufthansa intercontinental flights

Surf and check/answer e-mails on laptops, smartphones and tablet PCs with FlyNet

Introductory offer: use for free until the end of January 2011

Telekom takes off with FlyNet, the brand new passenger service from Lufthansa Airlines that offers high-performance, on-board Internet access. Telekom has extended its range of HotSpot sites from more than 8,000 locations in Germany and 72 Deutsche Bahn high-speed ICE trains, to now include aircraft from Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet; once again demonstrating Telekom’s innovation leadership. As a result, Telekom, together with technology partner Panasonic Avionics Corporation, is closing the communications gap in air travel, where passengers were previously required to go “offline.” The service will be available starting December 1st on selected North Atlantic routes, and will be implemented on nearly the entire Lufthansa long-haul network by the end of 2011.

“Our aim is to provide our customers the best possible connection around the clock, regardless of where they are. We have been providing HotSpots in Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed ICE trains for five years now, so the Lufthansa on-board service means the sky really is the limit. This initiative is another excellent example of how we are realizing our vision of connected life and work, step by step,” said Edward R. Kozel, Chief Technology and Innovations Officer (CTIO) of Deutsche Telekom AG.

Through a Telekom HotSpot, transatlantic passengers will now have the same unlimited Internet access as on the ground. This service is guaranteed throughout the entire aircraft cabin, where passengers can connect to the Internet using all WLAN-enabled devices such as laptops or smartphones. This will enable them to use the time spent traveling to surf the internet or to access company servers via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), and communicate seamlessly with their business associates through Email. The extremely fast, high-performance connection means even large file attachments can be sent quickly without time delay. With FlyNet, Lufthansa, in cooperation with its strategic partners Telekom and technology leader Panasonic Avionics Corporation, is the first airline to offer its customers broadband Internet access on intercontinental flights.

All Telekom mobile communications customers can use the HotSpot under their cell phone contracts. They have to pay a fee of EUR 1.80 for every 10 minutes for FlyNet. In order to mark the launch of FlyNet, access for all passengers is free of charge until the end of January 2011.
After the introductory period, passengers can register for the service using their credit card, via another roaming partner, or by redeeming Award Miles from their Miles & More account. The standard credit card offer costs EUR 10.95 for one hour, and EUR 19.95 for 24 hours. Customers can purchase the service on-board, and continue to use it in Lufthansa lounges after the flight.

Telekom launched its WLAN offering back in 2002, and currently has over 44,000 HotSpots worldwide. In Germany, the offer includes mobile HotSpots on the Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains, and thus, 300 km/h speeds are no obstacle for customers wishing to surf the Internet. Now, FlyNet will enable passengers traveling at almost 1,000 km/h to enjoy Internet connections on airplanes with download speeds of up to 5 Mbit/s. Telekom is planning to extend its HotSpot offering for mobile Internet to other airlines.