Honeywell International Inc. HON, -0.96% and Boeing Co. BA, -2.86% have struck a deal to research and develop technologies for new high-speed, in-flight wireless connectivity on Boeing platforms in a push to address the increasing demand for faster, more reliable in-flight connectivity on iPads, smartphones, tablet devices and laptops while over land and crossing oceans.

Honeywell Aerospace Vice President of Marketing and Product Management Carl Esposito said the current in-flight connectivity landscape offers "a narrow field of overland flight paths in the U.S. and select international markets, is unreliable, and does not adequately address passengers' burgeoning desire for a true global in-flight connectivity offering."

The deal includes Boeing's 787, 777, 737NG and 747-8 airliners.

The agreement will allow Boeing and Honeywell to jointly research, test and develop the hardware, software and potential services that will use GX Ka-band satellites, powered by Inmarsat PLC's (IMASY, ISAT.LN) Global Xpress constellation, and begin the process needed to support GX Ka-band equipment installation aboard new aircraft in 2015.

Honeywell touted Global Xpress as being able to offer "unprecedented" data rates and bandwidth and said this will provide the same experience as terrestrial broadband. It said travelers will be able to do everything from real-time social media updates to videoconferencing and multimedia presentation development while in flight, virtually anywhere in the world.

From a business standpoint, the company said the Honeywell-developed hardware and system for GX Aviation will offer new services to aircraft operators, airlines and air traffic control such as predictive maintenance and better aircraft communications.

Honeywell and Inmarsat signed an agreement last year to provide global in-flight connectivity services, under which Honeywell exclusively will develop, produce and distribute the onboard hardware that will enable users to connect to Inmarsat's GX Aviation network.

The first Inmarsat GX Ka-band satellite, being built by Boeing, is expected to launch late this year. Inmarsat and Honeywell continue to track toward making global service available for commercial, business aviation and government customers in 2015.

Shares of Honeywell closed Tuesday at $73.54, while those of Boeing closed at $87.21. Both companies' stocks were inactive in recent premarket trading.

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