Those eagerly awaiting for in-flight broadband internet to go mainstream may not have to wait much longer.

In-Stat, a market research firm, says that almost 800 planes will feature in-flight broadband before the end of the year. On top of the good news for travelers, the increase in broadband usage will generate a $47 million in revenue this year alone which is great news for the airlines as well.

The firm also expect that this revenue will double over the next four years and that by 2013 there will be 200 million in-flight broadband connections made a year. In-Stat also says they expect for handheld devices to be responsible for one-third of the usage while notebooks will accound for the other two-thirds.

Live broadcast video is also poised for significant growth in 2009. While this service is more established than in-flight broadband, usage revenues are still anticipated to nearly double in 2009 and continue to grow strongly through 2013.