In-Flight Wi-Fi: Victim Of Terrorism Scare?

Gizmodo is reporting how the recent bomb scares will likely have the unintended consequence of delaying the rollout of in-flight wi-fi, a process that seems to be woefully behind schedule as it is. The problem? Wi-fi means its easier to set off a bomb remotely. Per Gizmodo:

The trouble, according to Roland Alford of explosives consultancy firm Alford Technologies, is that the benefits in-flight cellphone and Wi-Fi tech provides for your average traveler could give someone with malevolent intentions a way [to detonate a bomb]: “In-flight Wi-Fi gives a bomber lots of options for contacting a device on an aircraft,” Alford says. “Even if ordinary cellphone connections are blocked, it would allow a voice-over-internet connection to reach a handset.”

Come on, there’s got to be a way around this? Secure networks, in-flight IT plane marshals . . . bomb screening? If I’m forced to watch “Mamma Mia” on the plane instead of browsing the web or checking my email, then the terrorists have in fact really won.

Posted on November 04, 2010 by Matt Stabile