SpaceX's Starlink Might Soon Bring In-Flight Wi-Fi for Fast Internet

SpaceX Starlink could soon begin providing in-flight Wi-Fi. The company is said to be in talks will “several airlines” to provide fast internet services to passengers during flights. That would follow a test next year, where the company will begin broadcasting internet access to passengers on a commercial flight in Dubai. The plan is to have it be widely available by the end of 2019, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Starlink represents the next generation of in-flight connectivity — with broadband internet that, if successful, could allow a wide variety of new applications. Currently, satellite internet can cost hundreds of dollars per month and be limited to a few gigabits of data. Satellite internet providers also face legal challenges over their ability to use the frequency bands below 24 GHz, which are licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for military and other government uses.

On the other hand, SpaceX’s broadband satellite constellation, which is currently in testing, could provide in-flight internet for tens of dollars a month for hundreds of gigabits of data. And because it can operate in a range of frequencies, it’s more likely to be legal. That’s where companies like Apple, AT&T, and Charter Communication come in. These companies are already building out network infrastructure. But it’s unclear how or whether they will be able to integrate broadband internet service with their existing cellular networks, which also require government licenses. It’s also unclear what impact, if any, the FCC’s plan to auction off wireless broadband spectrum below 24 GHz will have on their plans to provide internet service.

The market for in-flight broadband is growing rapidly, driven by the fact that data service is often cheaper than traditional service on the ground. Passengers were willing to pay $20 to $30 a flight for in-flight Wi-Fi, and many were willing to pay up to $60 a flight to get better service than they could get on the ground.

If SpaceX can make internet service affordable and fast enough, it will help make internet access universal, said Brian McArdle, a vice president of the International Air Transport Association. “It’s a big part of making air travel the next big thing in mobility,” he said.

But SpaceX’s plans also raise questions about how the rest of the world will respond to its innovations.

SpaceX, for example, has said that it would prefer to sell its broadband services via contracts to airlines rather than selling them in the United States. If other countries develop their own internet services, it could make its broadband services more expensive or less competitive, he said.

Even if SpaceX doesn’t sell its services globally, it could put intense pressure on other companies to develop cheap broadband technology. That could cause costs to fall and companies to enter the market, further pushing down costs. 

 

 

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