Even less than a 150 years ago that would have been impossible. And prior to that communication among normal people could take months.

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[+] 24 points 9 months ago* (11 children)
  • [–] 18 points 9 months ago (9 children)

    10 years ago was 2015. In-flight wifi was definitely already a thing. I just pulled this from an old email.

    Enjoy 20 live TV channels and a wide array of on demand TV options as well as other services including WiFi connectivity, messaging, and movies!

    This is from Southwest Airlines from 2014.

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  • [+] 8 points 9 months ago (9 children)
  • [–] 9 points 9 months ago* (8 children)

    It wouldn't have been rare at all because it wasn't rare.

    Yes, you wouldn't be video chatting (and still shouldn't be... it is a plane for crying out loud). But emails were 100% a thing and I had plenty of gchat conversations with colleagues that included the phrase "We are about to land, Ill get back to you when I am at my hotel".


    Okay, THIS I need someone with a more reliable brain to chime in on. But I want to say it was actually easier to IM on a plane (assuming your employer paid for the wifi which was expensive as hell) than in an airport due to a mix of cell phone dead spots and shit APs in most of the major airports.

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  • [–] 8 points 9 months ago (7 children)

    Yeah people are talking like 2016 was 2006.

    Like remember how much better Skype was in 2012 than any of the crap we have now?

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  • [–] 3 points 9 months ago (4 children)
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  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago*

    Unreliable certainly. For as long as there's radio coverage there's a way, but it used to be impractical to give passengers enough bandwidth. 20 years ago you'd have to ask the captain nicely to get a call routed (read: have an emergency)

    If you allow civilian HAM radio, you go back a few more decades (not quite applicable to planes, but definitely applicable to boats). If you allow Morse code you go back yet a little further.

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