SpaceX’s Starlink wants to provide your in-flight WiFi

There’s no faster way to win the hearts and minds of the people than by bringing them fast, reliable internet on an airplane. Elon Musk knows this, and that’s maybe why his space company, SpaceX, is reportedly in talks with “several” airlines in a bid to provide their crafts with WiFi via the company’s growing internet satellite network, Starlink.

On Wednesday, June 9, Jonathan Hofeller — SpaceX’s VP of Starlink and commercial sales — told a panel at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit that the company is forging ahead with its plans to shift its satellite-linked broadband network from servicing predominantly rural homes to more commercial interests by the end of 2021.

“We’re in talks with several of the airlines,” Hofeller told the panel. “We have our own aviation product in development … we’ve already done some demonstrations to date, and looking to get that product finalized to be put on aircraft in the very near future.”

SpaceX began a beta rollout of its Starlink satellites in 2018 in order to cover a global dearth of broadband internet connections, particularly in rural areas where fiber connections generally aren’t readily available. Under the beta plan, most Starlink customers pay a one-time fee of $499 for a bundle that includes a self-aligning Starlink dish and Wi-Fi router, and then $99 per month for monthly internet services after that.

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