Elon Musk has a new idea for on-board internet connectivity. The SpaceX CEO wants to install a network of high speed wireless routers around the globe that would provide fast, low latency connection speeds by using an Earth ground station as the satellite. Experts say this effort is more or less impossible due to regulatory and physics limitations but it’s still interesting to look at what could happen if these hurdles were overcome.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has announced that he may be able to deliver the fastest in-flight wifi yet. The internet would be delivered by a constellation of satellites.
Elon Musk may be able to provide the fastest in-flight internet ever.
on October 14, 2021 by Gary Leff
In-flight internet isn’t quite as difficult as it once was, at least if you’re travelling on a carrier that doesn’t happen to be United. Even United is finally investing on improving in-flight WiFi.
“I’m tweeting from a plane!” was one of the most popular tweets in my feed when internet access was initially available on aircraft. The first in-flight connection for everyone entailed a public statement of the previously unthinkable.
However, as more individuals began to use the restricted capacity, internet speeds quickly became a problem. Gogo’s air-to-ground network wasn’t designed to handle internet speeds, but rather to support Airfones that were never utilized. It also couldn’t be utilized at altitudes below 10,000 feet.
You may now stream considerably more effectively than ever before thanks to satellite-based internet from firms that perform a better job than Panasonic. My only gripe is the delay on an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX equipped with ViaSat internet.
Internet speeds might soon surpass those already available, at least if Elon Musk keeps his promise and airlines are willing to spend.
Yes, we are in discussions with airlines regarding implementing Starlink. If you want it on your airplane, please let them know.
In the air, low latency half gigabit communication!
October 14, 2021 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
Musk is a brilliant businessman. Many of his claims are ludicrous, or seem to be ludicrous at first. Many of his suggestions never materialize, so take them with a grain of salt. At the same time, some of the apparently impossible things become a reality. That’s what makes his statements so intriguing: they may verge on Trump or Richard Branson-level marketing, yet they do sometimes come true.
And, someday, we’ll get performance like Musk promises from StarLink or some other platform. It’s simply a matter of time until this comes to fruition.
When Scott Kirby was President of US Airways, he held off investing in wifi for years, fearing that they would never make enough money from the fees. Customers, on the other hand, avoided traveling with the airline if the wifi was poor. High-speed internet connections are no longer a novelty or a luxury that we brag about in tweets. They’re a big part of how we remain in touch with the rest of the world.
(Image courtesy of @crucker)
More From the Wing’s Perspective
Elon Musk has been working on a new technology that will allow for faster in-flight wifi. The system will be able to provide internet speeds of up to 12 gigabits per second. This is much faster than the current fastest speed, which is around 8 gigabits per second. Reference: elon musk starlink.
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