The next time you fly United Airlines, you might notice a serious upgrade to the in-flight internet.
Earlier this year, United Airlines said that its first Starlink internet-equipped flight was expected to take off in the second quarter of this year.
The airline appears ahead of schedule, as it has announced the first successful installation of Starlink on a plane. Starlink-equipped planes will have internet speeds up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), 50 times faster than current regional aircraft internet speed.
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Airplane internet is notoriously slow and unreliable, not changing much since it first appeared 20 years ago. This new technology matches home-based internet speeds and means users can access work documents, stream content, check home security cameras, and even game — all from their plane seat.
United’s VP of Digital Technology, Grant Milstead, called the upgraded speeds a “living room in the sky experience,” adding that it will also “unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”
United is putting the tech on Embraer E170 and E175 planes to start. The airline said it expects to equip 40 planes a month with the new technology and to finish the entire regional jet fleet (planes with a capacity under 100 people) of 300 planes within the year. Ultimately, plans include fitting the entire United fleet with Starlink.
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While installing the new Starlink equipment takes about 8 hours, removing the old equipment takes time too. United says each plane must be out of service for about 4 days for the entire process.
Starlink access will be free for all MileagePlus customers (signup is free) and will include shopping, gaming and more. Currently, internet on United flights costs $6 to $10 per flight.
Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
