In 2025, fast and complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi is revolutionizing air travel thanks to advancements in satellite technology. SpaceX's Starlink network can deliver download speeds over 200 megabits per second. Major airlines are partnering with Starlink, changing the dynamics of business travel by allowing flyers to use services like Slack and Zoom during flights. Prior to this, airlines struggled with slow, unreliable ground-based networks. Aircell, later Gogo Inflight, highlighted the challenges faced until satellite technology began transforming connectivity in the skies.
"We're creating a little bit of a living room in the sky," says Grant Milstead, vice president of digital technology for United Airlines, which flew its first Starlink-equipped route, from Chicago to Detroit, in May.
The boost in bandwidth is changing the face of business travel, giving flyers the unprecedented ability to Slack, Zoom, and collaborate with coworkers from 35,000 feet.
For most of the 21st century, airlines relied on ground-based cell towers that provided slow, or no, coverage over rural areas, deserts, and oceans.
Launched in 2008, Aircell, which would later become known as Gogo Inflight, offered a pricey yet spotty air-to-ground service that served as the stodgy industry standard.
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