Row 44 is outfitting planes with inexpensive devices that allow passengers to access the Internet while flying in a plane. Earlier this year, Southwest Airlines Co. and Alaska Airlines began offering Row 44's Internet service.

It isn't first time that wireless Internet has been offered on an airline. In 2000, Boeing Co. launched an Internet system called Connexion for large airliners. But after Boeing sank more than $1 billion into development, few passengers were willing to pay the $30 connection fee. Several international carriers offered the Connexion service on a handful of long-haul flights, but Boeing pulled the plug on the program in late 2006, saying it wasn't financially viable.

So why does Row 44 believe that it can succeed when an aerospace giant, with significantly deeper pockets, fell short?

For one thing, Row 44 says it hasn't had to build the multibillion-dollar satellite system. It's piggybacking on an existing network. The company's size has allowed it to quickly adopt the latest advancements in technology that have made equipment lighter and cheaper. And with the Internet becoming nearly ubiquitous, demand is surging for constant connection.

Because many people carry laptops or Internet-ready hand-held devices these days, demand is higher than ever, said Tim Farrar, president of consulting and research firm Telecom Media and Finance Associates. The bigger question is: "How much will they pay?" he said.

Row 44 is named after the last row on a DC-10 commercial jet, considered the most uncomfortable part of the plane because the seats are in front of the bathroom and don't recline. The company came up with the name with the idea that its in-flight Internet service could make the flying experience more enjoyable -- even for the unlucky guy in the last row.

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