FCC moves toward opening airwaves for in-flight Internet The Federal Communications Commission took a step toward improving Web access for air travelers, voting to write rules to open frequencies for an air-to-ground Internet service proposed by Qualcomm Inc. In a 4-0 vote Thursday, the FCC advanced the plan to help travelers pull in Facebook pages, spreadsheets, videos, games and music on planes equipped with Wi-Fi systems. The next-generation service needs another vote before final approval by the agency, which is changing leadership. "We take an important step to improve in-flight broadband service," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who is to step down May 17 after leading the agency since 2009. A successor awaits Senate confirmation. The global market for in-flight entertainment and communications is estimated to grow to $3 billion in 2017 from $2 billion in 2012, Gogo Inc., an in-flight communications company, said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The FCC, which shares regulation of in-flight communications with the Federal Aviation Administration, voted in December to ease licensing requirements for in-flight Internet services. By opening airwaves for the service, the FCC could help meet surging demand that may strain existing ground-to-air Internet services, Qualcomm told the FCC in filings. The San Diego company asked the FCC to auction frequencies for the new use. Qualcomm said its system is designed to offer travelers "in-flight broadband experience equivalent to what is available in their homes, offices, parks, cars, buses and trains." Airlines already use some systems to send data to and from aircraft, enabling passengers to connect to the Internet over a Wi-Fi signal. Qualcomm told the FCC its proposed system would have "significantly greater bandwidth" to support "exponentially increasing data demands." Gogo, based in Itasca, Ill., currently uses 3 megahertz of airwaves to provide its service; the Qualcomm proposal envisions devoting 500 megahertz. The proposed system got support from AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and United Continental Holdings Inc.'s United Airlines. Opposing the system was the Satellite Industry Assn. In a filing, the trade group said the airwaves that would be used for the Qualcomm system are already used intensively by the satellite industry, and that could compromise some current business networks and broadband services for rural America. Qualcomm's proposed air-ground mobile service would use between 150 and 250 ground stations to transmit and receive signals from aircraft, the FCC said as it requested comment on the proposal. Aircraft operators must certify to the Federal Aviation Administration that any electronics on board are safe and won't interfere with navigation devices or other gear.