In a move which marks a notable advance by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the direction of helping more airlines offer in-cabin wireless broadband, the agency Thursday voted to open a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

By opening NPRM, the FCC is seeking comments on a proposal pertaining to the allocation of 500MHz of 14GHz spectrum to new air-to-ground broadband service. As a result of the move, in-flight broadband would share mentioned spectrum with existing occupants, including fixed satellite services and a few US government agencies.

While voting to explore using new spectrum for air-to-ground broadband service, the FCC said that it will also give due consideration to potential interference concerns in the NPRM.

In case the proposal comes through, it will underscore a noteworthy advancement towards enhancing in-flight broadband service which is presently available on nearly 3000 airplanes across the world; but customers have been continually complaining about slow speeds and cost.

According to the FCC officials, the new spectrum will address both the complaints of the customers as it would pave the way for speedier service in airplanes, along with enabling more airplanes to offer wireless broadband. In addition, the new service, as per the FCC, will also provide competition and drive down the costs of current in-flight broadband service.