SpaceX signed the first airline customer for its Starlink satellite service. JSX will offer in-flight WiFi powered by the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, with the first plane expected to be equipped later this year.
Starlink
Is Starlink finally ready for commercial flight?
“We are already on airplanes. We are testing the antenna and working towards certification.”
With that statement at the Satellite 2022 conference in Washington, DC this week, Jonathan Hofeller, VP of Starlink Commercial Sales kicked off another round of speculation about what the future of in-flight connectivity will be.
Making the Business (Aviation) case for LEO at Gogo
“We are in active conversations in the LEO and ESA world.”
That comment from Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne earlier this summer kicked off significant speculation on what the next next generation (after Gogo 5G) will look like.
Gogo sees LEO as part of its future
Gogo reported its first quarterly profit in history on record service revenues in Q3 2021. And the company is not slowing down. Executives continue to push the potential for future growth opportunities, both terrestrial and satellite-based, while also still talking down competitive inroads.
The low-down on LEO IFC options
It should come as no surprise that a trio of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite operators believe more than 90% of in-flight connectivity traffic will pass over their networks in a decade’s time. Still, hearing how SpaceX, OneWeb and Telesat believe their upcoming constellations will compete for traffic during this week’s Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit reveals slightly different takes on the market and what they believe will be necessary to secure customers going forward.