Jack Aylmer
WI-FI IN THE SKY WILL GET A MUCH NEEDED BOOST AS SEVERAL MAJOR AIRLINES ANNOUNCE A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH SPACE-X…
UNITED AIRLINES ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL BE RETROFITTING THEIR ENTIRE FLEET WITH HIGH SPEED INTERNET BY STARLINK… PROVIDING FREE WI-FI TO ALL PASSENGERS FOR THE FIRST TIME. AIR FRANCE ALSO ANNOUNCED THEY WILL BE OFFERING THE SAME SERVICE DELIVERED BY THE SATELLITE INTERNET PROVIDER… DESCRIBING IT AS ULTRA HIGH SPEED CONNECTIVITY FOR A ‘GROUND-LIKE’ EXPERIENCE.
AVIATION PUNDITS SEE THESE MOVES AS THE START OF A REVOLUTION IN THE SECTOR OF IN-FLIGHT WI-FI… WITH STARLINK DISPLACING INDUSTRY LEADING SERVICE PROVIDERS LIKE VIA-SAT AND PANASONIC… WHO UP TO THIS POINT, DOMINATED THE SKIES FOR DECADES. AND WHILE MANY SEE THIS AS A MUCH NEEDED CHANGE IN THE INDUSTRY… THE NEWS HAS BEEN A FAILURE TO LAUNCH FOR SOME.
SPACE-X OWNER ELON MUSK MADE HEADLINES IN SEPTEMBER WHEN A STUDY REVEALED THAT AMERICANS’ TRUST IN THE X PLATFORM PLUMMETED UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER… PUTTING IT ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE U-S GOVERNMENT.
AND STARLINK ITSELF HAS BEEN A FOCAL POINT FOR CONTROVERSY IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR… LEADING TO POTENTIAL EROSION OF TRUST IN THE FUTURE UNDER MUSK. CRITICS EXPRESS THAT WHILE THIS MOVE IS A WIN FOR BOTH TECHNOLOGY AND PASSENGERS… THEY FEAR THE BAGGAGE MUSK BRINGS MAY INVITE UNNEEDED TURBULENCE IN THE FUTURE.
UNITED SAYS THAT WITH OVER ONE THOUSAND PLANES TO CONVERT… THEY EXPECT THE FIRST FLIGHT WITH STARLINK WI-FI TO TAKE OFF SOMETIME IN 2025.
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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M JACK AYLMER.