SEATTLE, Dec. 28 -- The Boeing Co. has been granted a license by the Federal Communications Commission that will enable passengers on airplanes to transmit and receive broadband data in flight, using its Connexion by Boeing service. The license, the first of its kind in the broadband satellite services industry, will enable operators of commercial airliners and executive jets, such as private and government aircraft, to offer real-time, high-speed Internet and intranet access, television and e-mail above US territory and waters. "This license signals a new era for in-flight connectivity and further strengthens our efforts in the mobile economy," said Scott Carson, president of Connexion by Boeing. "For the first time in history, air travelers will be able to experience real time, in-flight connectivity comparable to the speeds and quality of service they expect on the ground." The Connexion by Boeing application was subject to stringent review by US government agencies that oversee spectrum usage. Under an unprecedented flight-test program, Connexion One, a specially equipped Boeing 737, gathered data to demonstrate that the service can operate without causing harmful interference to other spectrum users, in support of ongoing domestic and international regulatory activities.