In-flight broadband: Do you have the power?

Research and analyst firm In-Stat says that by the end of this year, 2,000 airliners will be outfitted with the technology to offer passengers in-flight broadband services. Their report is something of a cautious tale, explaining that despite a revenue increase of 1,357% from last year's $7 million to this year's expected $95 million, eroding connect fees leave the technology still unproven as a business model.

We'll see what happens with those connection fees, and I'm sure the report In-Stat just published dissects the business angles keenly. But my first thought when I heard about this service becoming available to passengers was entirely self-centered (big surprise there). Because I'm just about the cheapest person you'll ever find (a colleague once used the term "tighter than two coats of paint"), it's going to take a solid value proposition to get me to pay for wireless connectivity on an airplane. Then once I get over that hurdle and realize it's worth it to be able to conduct business while on a five-hour flight across four time zones, I have to ask the dreaded question: How long will my laptop battery last?

Seriously, if I shell out somewhere between 10 and 20 bucks in order to share wireless bandwidth with dozens of other passengers in an airline cabin ... I don't want my battery to croak a half-hour into the flight.

Plus (going back to the whole two-coats-of-paint thing), what's going to happen when I change planes in Philadelphia or Atlanta? Or, shudder to think, change airlines before getting to my destination? Is my purchase of in-flight broadband good for 24 hours on any airplane? I'm sure there's a simple answer to this question that I'd know already if I wasn't too lazy and cranky to look it up. But I'm just saying ...

It'll probably be a couple months before I take my next long flight across the country. I just got outfitted with a new laptop and the maker says the battery lasts about 6 hours. Can't wait to see how this works out. In the meantime, if you've had any experiences with this technology, please chime in.