Shivansh Mishra
Source: ID
Netflix is now planning to take its ambitious plans to dizzying heights (pun intended).
It is partnering with several airlines to improve in-flight Wi-Fi so that users can stream TV shows and films on their phones, while flying.
According to a report, Netflix will offer its bandwidth-efficient mobile streaming technology to airline carriers “across the globe” from 2018.
The company revealed the plans at the APEX Expo 2017 in California this week, and says its technology will enable passengers to watch Netflix on their handsets in high quality.
Source: APEX
Early next year, Netflix will deploy encodes to provide airlines with better insights on buffering times. “We’ll be able to monitor our video playback metrics to ensure [passengers] have the greatest experience on your flight,” said Spencer Wang, vice-president, Finance and Investor Relations at Netflix, Inc. at the expo.
Wang says when consumers find out that an airline like Virgin bundles Netflix offers with free Wi-Fi, there’s an average 30 percent “uplift” in passenger loyalty. “By removing the fear about bandwidth costs, airlines will start actively promoting video streaming in flight so that we can please our mutual customers.”
This could eventually lead to more and more airlines offering free or cheap onboard Wi-Fi access to passengers.