Terrestrial based high speed data communications mesh network

An airborne communication node configured to receive high speed wirelessly transmitted data communications on an in-flight aircraft, the airborne communication node comprising:

• a receiver station disposed on the in-flight aircraft, the receiver station configured to communicate with at least one of a plurality of ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being located such that at least some of the ground transmission stations are within overlapping communications range of respective other ones of the ground transmission stations, the ground transmission stations being configured to communicate with the receiver station to provide a high speed data communications link continuous and uninterrupted in time with the receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol operating in communication bands in about a 2 GHz to about a 6 GHz range utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM),
• wherein the high speed data communications link is maintained continuous and uninterrupted in time while the in-flight aircraft is within a coverage area provided by one of the plurality of ground transmission stations and as the in-flight aircraft moves from the coverage area provided by the one of the plurality of ground transmission stations to a coverage area provided by another of the plurality of ground transmission stations.