Aircraft communications system with network selection controller and associated method

A communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft, the communications system comprising:

• a ground-based communications network;
• a satellite-based communications network;
• at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs;
• an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network;
• a satellite receiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs;
• and
• at least one network selection controller for determining whether to send data communications to the PEDs through said air-to-ground transceiver or said satellite receiver based on a communications link metric.

An aircraft communications system for an aircraft carrying at least some personnel having personal electronic devices (PEDs) for wireless data communications outside the aircraft with either a ground-based communications network or a satellite-based communications network, the aircraft communications system comprising:

• at least one access point in the aircraft for providing a wireless local area network (WLAN) for data communications with the PEDs;
• an air-to-ground transceiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with said ground-based communications network;
• a satellite receiver in the aircraft cooperating with said at least one access point for data communications with the satellite-based communications network to the PEDs;
• and
• an aircraft-based network selection controller for determining whether to send data communications to the PEDs through said air-to-ground transceiver or said satellite receiver based on a communications link metric.