Billionaire Elon Musk has revealed that SpaceX is in discussions with airlines about the possibility of installing Starlink satellite internet connection on commercial airplanes.
Musk tweeted: “Yes, we are talking to airlines about installing Starlink.”
Yes, we are talking to airlines about installing Starlink. Please let them know if you want it on your airliner.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2021
Low latency ~half gigabit connectivity in the air!
However, neither the airlines involved in discussions nor any further details have been disclosed.
SpaceX has already hinted at the possibility in June 2021 when Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of Starlink, said that the company has its own ‘aviation product’ in development.
Musk’s space rocket company launched its satellite network into orbit in 2018, and began an open beta test of the service in 2020. So far, the company’s connection works in limited areas across the world, although it has significantly increased both coverage and speed with subsequent new satellites.
SpaceX Starlink is just one of the firms aiming to provide high-speed internet coverage through a satellite constellation. Numerous other companies have also promised to launch hardware into space, leading to a broadband space race.