The FCC has voted to allow wireless internet access on airplanes.

“We are pushing the frontiers in order to bring the information age to all corners of the world,’ said Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell on Wednesday after a unanimous vote approving the new technology for U.S. airlines. ‘We want it on the land, in the air, and on the sea.’ ”

It’s the usual all-American bigger, better, everywhere, all the time, to everyone, constantly, no stone unturned approach to providing a soundbite comment. Still it would be quite cool to be surfing whilst flying - if that’s not a contradiction.

The FCC also voted on Wednesday to solicit public comment about ending the ban on in-flight use of mobile (or as they say ‘cell’) phones. Both the FCC and FAA currently ban the use of cell phones inflight. The Office of Homeland Security probably has an opinion on this one also.

The current FCC approved wireless Internet offering from Boeing Co. uses satellites to get air travellers online. Boeing’s “Connexion” service is offered by some international carriers, including some flights to and from the United States.

Domestic US carriers have shied away from it in large part because of the cost of outfitting planes with the technology, estimated to be about $500,000 per jet.

But the new FCC measures would restructure how such “air-to-ground” services are used and allow the airlines to offer wireless high-speed Internet connections through the frequencies used by the seatback phones. It would cost roughly $100,000 to outfit a plane with the necessary equipment.

The FCC has not yet decided how many companies would compete to provide services. There will be an auction next year at which point the number and terms of the licenses will be established.

For airlines there maybe significant revenue to made from online access - which is good news in a business where the margins in the core operations are ludicrously tight.