Image Number 15 for United States Patent #8131288.
An apparatus and a method may be provided by which a user aboard an aircraft may use a processing device to communicate with another device, which is not located aboard the aircraft, via an air-to-ground network connection. A communication satellite may provide connectivity for the air-to-ground network connection. As the aircraft approaches an end of a satellite coverage area, the air-to-ground network connection may seamlessly transition to a second communication satellite or a second communication medium. Some communication satellites may communicate via a first frequency range and other communication satellites may communicate via a second frequency range. In one mode of operation, the air-to-ground network connection may be via a communication satellite communicating via a first frequency range. A transition to a communication medium communicating via a second frequency range may occur automatically only during the one mode of operation.
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