JetBlue Airways subsidiary LiveTV has agreed to purchase Verizon Airfone’s network, in a move that enables LiveTV to push forward with offering basic in-flight connectivity across the low-cost carrier’s fleet as well as other airlines that have committed to adopting the e-mail and messaging service, Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

Under the transaction, LiveTV on 1 January will take over Airfone’s assets, including 100 air-to-ground (ATG) towers in the USA that currently support airborne communication services for over 2,400 Magnastar customers in the general aviation market. The network previously facilitated Airfone’s now-defunct seat-back telephone service onboard commercial aircraft.

At one time Airfone envisioned using air-to-ground spectrum to offer airline passengers high-speed connectivity services. It participated in the US Federal Communications Commission’s 2006 auction of 4HHz of spectrum in the 800MHz band all

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