System for providing high speed communications service in an airborne wireless cellular network

A method for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in a selected coverage area, via a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in an aircraft that is operational in the coverage area, comprising:

• providing at least one bidirectional Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency link, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link;
• and
• establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band and having a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, with selected ones of the aircraft for transmitting data communications signals to the aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver.

A system for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in a selected coverage area, comprising:

• a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in the coverage area, comprising:
• Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency transceiver for providing bidirectional radio frequency communication links, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between each of the aircraft and the transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link, and
• Broadband Ground-To-Air Data Channel transmitter for dynamically establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band which has a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, with selected ones of the aircraft for transmitting data communications signals to the selected aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver.

A method for providing wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in a selected coverage area, via a ground-based communications network having a plurality of base stations located on the ground, each of which operates at least one transceiver to create a coverage area that provides wireless communication services to wireless subscriber devices that are located in a plurality of aircraft that are operational in the coverage area, comprising:

• providing at least one bidirectional Air-To-Ground Radio Frequency link, operating at a first radio frequency band and having a first bandwidth, for transmitting network access signals, mobility management signals, and data communications signals between each of the aircraft and the transceiver to enable the wireless subscriber devices located in the aircraft to bidirectionally communicate with the Internet over the bidirectional radio frequency communication link;
• and
• establishing at least one Ground-To-Air Radio Frequency communications link, operating at a second radio frequency band which has a second bandwidth which is greater than the first bandwidth, with selected ones of the aircraft for transmitting data communications signals to the aircraft to supplement the first bandwidth provided by the at least one bidirectional radio frequency communication link between the aircraft and the at least one transceiver.