Air New Zealand is keeping mum on plans to offer an inflight wi-fi service, even as its competitiors forge ahead.

Qantas has announced its passengers will soon be able to access free inflight wi-fi as fast as broadband connections on the ground.



The Australian-based carrier has partnered with ViaSat, a US-based internet provider, to deliver the high-speed internet across its domestic fleet from early 2017.

But Air New Zealand, which has been named airline of the year for the past three years by AirlineRatings.com, would not be drawn on its own plans to introduce the service.

"Air New Zealand continues to significantly invest in the customer experience and we are currently investigating options for inflight wi-fi and onboard connectivity," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

"Whatever solution we decide upon will require the fitting of new equipment on board aircraft."

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New Zealand's national carrier could not provide a timeframe for when the service would be introduced.

"Due to commercial discussions with potential suppliers we are not in a position to make any further comment."

Routehappy released its annual Global State of In-Flight Wi-Fi report last month and found 60 airlines worldwide offered inflight wi-fi, representing 36 per cent of all kilometres flown globally and 78 per cent in the US.

It also found that passengers were demanding a home broadband-like experience.

The new Qantas service would feature speeds up to 10 times faster than conventional onboard wi-fi, giving travellers the ability to stream movies and TV shows, a statement released by the airline said.

Travellers would also be able to watch the latest news and live sport while inflight.

Trials will reportedly begin with just one Qantas Boeing 737 aircraft being retrofitted to enable the high-speed wi-fi in 2016.

The airline have plans for a full-roll out across Qantas Domestic's fleet of A330s and B737s from early 2017, with the aircraft to be fitted with modems and the advanced antenna that receives the satellite signal.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the goal was to make Australia home to the world's best inflight wi-fi experience.

"Bringing high-speed wi-fi to the domestic aviation market has been an ambition of ours for a long time and we now have access to the right technology to make it happen," Joyce said.

"The sheer size of the Australian landmass creates some significant challenges for inflight connectivity but the recent launch of NBN's satellite has opened up new opportunities that we plan to take advantage of with ViaSat's help."



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