Originally Posted by
Hyperveloce
I wonder whether something doesn't already suggest that since when the satcom link logged back on around 18:25:
The IFE equipment set up two ground connections over SATCOM (for the SMS e-mail application and Built-In Test Equipment (BITE) application) after the SATCOM re-established the link at 18:25 UTC, 07 March 2014 (normal), but not after the SATCOM re-established the link at 00:19 UTC, 08 March (abnormal). At no time during the flight was any user data sent over the link by means of the SMS/e-Mail application.
IMO, this "SMS/e-mail" does not mean what you think it means. For starters, "SMS" stands for "safety management system". If this connection is accessible by passengers at all, it may only be for the purposes such as credit card validation / seatback inflight shopping. Combined with the fact that it's a red-eye flight (18:25 UTC is 02:25 local time), lack of activity is not too surprising.