SpaceX signs 1st Starlink in-flight WiFi deal with carrier. Why it’s significant

Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Thursday signed its first deal with an air carrier to provide in-flight wireless internet using its Starlink satellite network.

According to a report by Reuters, the company has struck the agreement with semi-private jet service JSX and involves equipping 100 aeroplanes with Starlink terminals. The first Starlink-connected plane will take flight by year’s end, according to the statement by JSX.

SpaceX CEO Musk has been for months in talks with multiple airlines regarding the in-flight wifi technology as it is trying to put high-speed internet on commercial airlines. The worth of the partnership is yet to be disclosed.

Broadly, in-flight connectivity systems use two kinds of technologies. First is the air-to-ground system in which an onboard antenna picks up signals from the nearest tower on the ground during the flight to enable internet connectivity inside. Unless the aircraft is flying over a large space with no towers, such as a large ocean, the connection is usually seamless.

Second is the usual ground based technology in which satellites are used to connect to ground stations and the airplane connects it using a satellite antenna. It works the same way a satellite TV signal is transmitted.

SpaceX has been long attempting to disrupt the in-flight wifi connectivity market. Nowadays, a number of airlines offer inflight WiFi which helps travellers to stay connected to the internet for work or entertainment purposes. It allows the user to make a call from the aircraft.

SpaceX has launched some 2,000 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit since 2019 and, though the network is not yet fully deployed, it offers broadband internet service to thousands of customers in a handful of countries for $110 a month using a $599 terminal dish roughly the size of a pizza box.

Recently, Delta Air Lines also announced that it is testing Elon Musk’s satellite Wi-Fi service in an effort to improve wifi connectivity on board its aircraft, according to reports.