Starlink is taking in-flight Wi-Fi to new heights
Starlink's in-flight Wi-Fi is now considered the gold standard providing users with home broadband speed and low latency.
Starlink takes in-flight Wi-Fi to a higher standard. | Image by SWISS
When you think of Starlink, you probably think of the company's satellites helping you stay connected even in areas without a cellular signal. After all, Starlink drives T-Mobile's T-Satellite service. But Earth isn't the only place where Starlink helps smartphone owners who have no signal, even one offering a Wi-Fi connection. The company now offers zippy in-flight Wi-Fi service.
Starlink is the gold standard for in-flight Wi-Fi providers
Analysts say that Starlink is becoming the gold standard when it comes to providing super-fast Wi-Fi on flights. Starlink, owned by Elon Musk-founded SpaceX, has over 9,000 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). It delivers download data speeds as fast as 350Mbps with latencies under 99 milliseconds. Adlane Fellah, founder of Maravedis, a blog that covers Wi-Fi and other modes of connectivity, says that Starlink is a game-changer in the in-flight Wi-Fi business.
Fellah compares Starlink's in-flight Wi-Fi capabilities to a "decent home broadband connection." He also points out that the low latencies allow Starlink to support video calls and apps that offer real-time features. He says that these are things a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite could not do. GEO satellites travel in sync with the rotation of the earth, which makes them appear to be stationary over a fixed point on the ground. With a round-trip latency speed of approximately 600 milliseconds, Starlink's LEO satellites outperform GEO satellites for use with in-flight Wi-Fi connections.
Kerry Baker, an analyst with Ookla (developer of Speedtest.net and owner of Downdetector.com) says that Starlink is "elevating" the performance of in-flight Wi-Fi. Calling the satellite connectivity "dominant," Baker says, "You hear more and more announcements about airlines swapping over to Starlink." When you see what passed for in-flight Wi-Fi in the old days, you can understand the excitement generated by Starlink's service.
Currently better than an airport lounge on a bad day, not yet as good as a home fiber connection. As LEO constellations expand capacity and airlines invest in multi-antenna configurations like the Hughes FDX ESA setup Delta is deploying, per-user throughput will improve. But genuinely fast, reliable in-flight Wi-Fi that feels like your office connection is probably still 4-6 years away at scale
Adlane Fellah, founder of Maravedis
Travelers used to deal with Wi-Fi data speeds as slow as 10Mbps
United Airlines is reportedly taking an aggressive approach in an attempt to have its entire fleet supporting Starlink's Wi-Fi service by the end of this year. The airline is retrofitting approximately 40 planes a month to reach its goal.
Maravedis' Fellah points out that in the old days, an entire aircraft would share a 3G/4G air-to-ground (ATG) solution with speeds that maxed out at 10Mbps. Fellah called this "dial-up speeds" and added that even GoGo's current 5G in-flight Wi-Fi service is capped at 80Mbps, much slower than Starlink's 350Mbps top rate. He also expects in-flight Wi-Fi to go the way of hotel Wi-Fi and become a free service eventually.
Some U.S. carriers are sponsoring free-WI-Fi for airlines' reward programs
It's not as though Starlink has no competition in this space. Amazon LEO inked a pact with JetBlue and is supposedly talking with American Airlines. Chinese LEO companies are expected to compete by making deals with regional and domestic airlines in China. But Starlink has added some more names to its customer list. CCS Insight analyst Luke Pearce says that Starlink has recently added airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Qatar Airlines promotes Starlink Wi-Fi on its flights. | Image by Qatar Air
Carriers like T-Mobile aren't providing Wi-Fi service on planes, but they are getting involved by sponsoring free Wi-Fi for airline loyalty club members on certain flights. T-Mobile has deals with Delta, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest. This is a great promotion for the wireless provider as it gets the opportunity to have its name mentioned in front of travelers who are receiving a nice perk from the airlines. Similarly, AT&T sponsors free Wi-Fi for members of American Airlines' AAdvantage frequent flyers club.
T-Mobile currently offers subscribers to its Experience Beyond and Better Value plans unlimited full-flight Wi-Fi and streaming on all flights. Experience More subscribers are eligible to receive unlimited full-flight Wi-Fi on up to 4 flights per year; 1 hour on all others. Essentials Saver subscribers are allowed unlimited texting (data requires a separate pass).
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