ZTE has completed commercial ground-air FDD-LTE-based broadband network test in cooperation with Hainan Airlines, company announced today. The test occurred in February 2013 on Hainan Airlines Flight HU7137 Beijing to Xi’an. Internet connectivity was available for 70 minutes of the two-hour flight. ZTE expects to launch a commercial 4G ground-air communication systems on all Chinese airlines in 2013.

According to company, to adapt to the fast-growing online service needs of domestic airlines in China, ZTE initiated in 2011 R&D for 4G civil aviation ground-air broadband communication system. The system is designed to provide wireless broadband data transmission channels at a rate of higher than 30-60Mbps on planes flying at various altitudes. The service, which is based on advanced FDD-LTE 4G network technology, allows passengers to access the Internet via a cabin WLAN.

During the test, engineers were able to complete a variety of online tasks, including: real-time video conferencing, instant messaging, microblogging, email, online gaming and online payments. The downlink and uplink bandwidths were stable and worked at speeds greater than 12Mbps.