Airborne Wireless Network has obtained approval from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ground and flight-test its Infinitus Super Highway air-to-air communication system.

Scheduled to be carried out later this year, the test will use two active jet aircraft that will be deployed in routes around Roswell, New Mexico, US.

The test will enable Airborne Wireless Network to develop its patented Infinitus Super Highway system, with which the company aims to create a high-speed broadband airborne wireless network by linking commercial aircraft in-flight.

“We have recently announced receiving our experimental FCC licence and will now be able to begin our test flight, bringing us one step closer to the development of our Infinitus Super Highway."

The system will see the participation of an aircraft network, which will act as an airborne repeater or router, sending and receiving broadband signals from one aircraft to the next, as well as creating a digital superhighway in the sky.

The proposed network will be designed to be a high-speed broadband internet pipeline to improve coverage connectivity and serve internet service providers and telephone companies.

Airborne Wireless Network business development and aviation compliance vice-president Jason Mos said: “The objective for this three-point aircraft testing is to validate, at micro scale, our ability to act as an airborne repeater or router to send and receive broadband signals from one aircraft to the next, creating a digital superhighway in the sky.

“We have recently announced receiving our experimental FCC licence and will now be able to begin our test flight, bringing us one step closer to the development of our Infinitus Super Highway.

“We look forward to collaborating with our strategic partners in completing this test and improving overall airborne communications.”

The company and its partners have already started planning and organising its planned ‘Proof of Concept Aircraft Flight-Test’.