Wi-Fi on flights is about to get better with low orbit satellite technology like Elon Musk's Starlink: Report

Elon Musk's Starlink offers Wi-Fi on Hawaiian Airlines and small carriers like JSX using low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites less than a thousand miles from earth

Airlines are about to use a new satellite technology to provide in-flight Wi-Fi to solve the issue of inconsistent Wi-Fi due to the current use of old patchwork technologies, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Air India may also offer Wi-Fi soon, especially after its merger with Vistara, the only Indian airline offering Wi-Fi. (Representational Image)

What is the current technology used for in-flight Wi-Fi?

Many jets use air-to-ground antennas which connect to some of the last still remaining 3G cellular networks. In the US, this is provided by Intelstat after it purchased the commercial aviation division of Gogo.

There are currently 1,380 short-distance regional planes using this tech in the US and Canada, according to the report, which added that it can be so slow that it may even struggle to load email, and that airlines still have it because they upgrade the technology only when they upgrade their planes themselves in general.

What is the current satellite tech?

The satellite tech makes planes get signal from geostationary (GEO) satellites in orbit more than 20,000 miles out, rather than from the ground, and promised the ability to browse the web and stream video and music easily.

Intelsat, Viasat, and Panasonic are the most popular tech providers for major US airlines, and they have different antennas, different radio frequencies and different satellite technology, with different performance levels.

70% of people could use email, messaging, and open websites and apps, while 40% could stream Netflix and other video services, according to the report, which added that Viasat’s connections on Delta, JetBlue, United and American was teh fastest and consistently provided video streaming.

What is the future of satellite tech?

The future of satellite tech is in low-earth orbit (LEO) connections, with LEO satellites being less than a thousand miles away from earth. Examples include Elon Musk's Starlink which now offers in-flight Wi-Fi on Hawaiian Airlines and smaller carriers like JSX.

LEO connections brought the ability to stream videos easily, make video calls, and download apps easily according to the report

What is the scenario of Wi-Fi in Indian planes?

At the moment, Vistara is the only Indian airline that provides in-flight Wi-Fi, and that too on a few international routes. Air India may also offer Wi-Fi soon, since they will both be merged.