Latest news with #satelliteInternet
CNET
02-07-2025
- CNET
Yes, You Can Get Wi-Fi on a Plane: Here's How for Your Summer Travels
Free in-flight Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly common, largely thanks to efforts from satellite internet providers. Whether you're staying on top of travel plans, keeping your kids entertained during a long flight or catching up on Love Island mid-flight, you have more than a few options these days. In most cases, in-flight Wi-Fi comes by way of a satellite connection between the airline's fleet and a third-party internet provider like Starlink or Viasat. Don't expect fast speeds by any stretch, and if you're trying to send or receive texts over cellular airwaves, you can only do so with an internet-based messaging system like WhatsApp or iMessage. But if you're just looking to send a few quick emails or check Instagram, in-flight Wi-Fi should be able to get the job done. If you have a T-Mobile Experience plan, you can get free in-flight Wi-Fi on nearly all flights with major airlines like American, Alaska, Delta and United. Prices and terms vary from airline to airline (and in some cases, from flight to flight), so it isn't always easy to know if your flight will offer Wi-Fi or whether it'll be free. That's where this post comes in. Below, we've listed the top 10 airlines in the US and detailed their respective Wi-Fi offerings and costs to help you keep things straight as you book your next trip. If policies change, we'll update this rundown accordingly. For more travel tips, check out 12 essential items to remember to pack on your next trip, and how to save money on travel despite rising flight costs. Locating local internet providers Which airlines have free Wi-Fi? Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue offer free Wi-Fi, but others charge a fee. Click on a specific airline below to read more details. Alaska Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes, on most flights Yes, on most flights Wi-Fi cost: Usually $8, sometimes as high as $25 Usually $8, sometimes as high as $25 Streaming video: Yes, for flights equipped with "Streaming-Fast Wi-Fi," no, for flights equipped with "Basic Wi-Fi" Yes, for flights equipped with "Streaming-Fast Wi-Fi," no, for flights equipped with "Basic Wi-Fi" Texting: Yes, no purchase necessary (no SMS) "On most flights, our streaming-fast satellite Wi-Fi is available for only $8," reads the Alaska Airlines in-flight Wi-Fi FAQ page. The site adds that some of the airline's shorter flights -- specifically those using select 737-9 Max aircraft or all Q400 aircraft -- are not yet equipped with an onboard internet system. Alaska Airlines also cautions passengers about the possibility of brief outages in the satellite signal midflight and adds that satellite Wi-Fi is unavailable above the Arctic Circle and parts of Alaska or when flying over certain regions of Mexico, Hawaii and Costa Rica. In addition, Alaska Airlines offers a catalog of free in-flight movies and TV shows and free texting to all passengers connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi network, even those who aren't paying for full web access. However, your app options are limited to iMessage, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. SMS messages aren't supported, nor can you send photos or videos. Additionally, Alaska Airlines doesn't allow passengers to make voice or video calls via apps like FaceTime or Zoom. The airline also differentiates between "Streaming-Fast Wi-Fi," allowing passengers to stream, chat and browse the web, and "Basic Wi-Fi, " which doesn't support streaming or uploading large attachments. Here's the list of aircraft that support the faster, first option: All Boeing 737 Max All Boeing 737-900ER aircraft One Boeing 737-900 aircraft All Boeing 737-800s aircraft All Embraer E175 aircraft And here's the list of aircraft offering slower, Basic Wi-Fi, which doesn't allow for streaming: All Boeing 737-700 aircraft One 737-900 aircraft Alaska Airlines also notes that the price of Basic Wi-Fi on Boeing 737s varies and can cost up to $25. Monthly and yearly internet subscriptions are also available for frequent travelers. Meanwhile, if you have a T-Mobile Experience mobile plan, you'll likely be eligible for free in-flight Wi-Fi on Alaska Airlines flights. Allegiant Air In-flight Wi-Fi: No Wi-Fi isn't available on any Allegiant flight, the airline notes on its FAQ page for in-flight services, nor does Allegiant offer its own catalog of movies and television shows for in-flight entertainment. You can get two beers and a single-serve meat-and-cheese tray for $26 though, so you've got that going for you. American Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes, on select domestic flights Yes, on select domestic flights Wi-Fi cost: "As little as $10" "As little as $10" Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) American Airlines touts the availability of "upgraded, high-speed Wi-Fi" on its travel info site, but only on select domestic flights. You'll need to check your flight status to see if Wi-Fi is included with your trip. If it is, you'll be able to pay a fee to connect and browse the web, check emails and send messages, or stream video from services like Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max. That fee can vary from flight to flight, but American writes that it's available on most routes starting at $10. AAdvantage members can also purchase a Wi-Fi subscription plan that costs $50 per month for a single device or $60 per month for two devices. T-Mobile customers with the Experience plan can also enjoy full-flight Wi-Fi with their plan on American flights. According to the in-flight internet terms of use, American's onboard Wi-Fi is provided by Gogo, Viasat and Panasonic. Delta In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: Free for SkyMiles members, $10 for nonmembers Free for SkyMiles members, $10 for nonmembers Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) With service provided by T-Mobile, Delta currently offers free in-flight "Delta Sync Wi-Fi" on most flights for Delta SkyMiles members. To find an aircraft with Wi-Fi, you can check Delta's in-flight guide. Notably, non-SkyMiles members can access Wi-Fi for free on select aircraft thanks to satellite internet provider Viasat and Wi-Fi Onboard. Aircraft you can get free Wi-Fi on include: Airbus A220-300 Airbus A319 Airbus A320 Airbus A321ceo Airbus A321neo Airbus A330-900 Airbus A350 Boeing 737-800 Boeing 737-900 Boeing 757-200H/D If you're not a SkyMiles member or flying on an aircraft different from those listed above, you'll need to pay a $10 fee for Wi-Fi access. Daily and monthly Wi-Fi subscriptions are available for frequent flyers, and some Delta flights also support in-flight Wi-Fi for those on the T-Mobile Experience plan. Frontier Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: No Frontier doesn't offer in-flight Wi-Fi or on-demand entertainment on any of its flights. That also means that there's no way to send texts while in the air on a Frontier flight. "The lack of these services and electrical outlets on our flights means cost savings and the lowest fares possible can be passed on to our customers," the company's in-flight FAQ page reads. Hawaiian Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: Free Free Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) Hawaiian Airlines recently struck a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi on all flights. Like most airlines, video calls, voice calls and texts sent through SMS are not allowed on-flight. But you can do pretty much anything else with a Starlink internet connection, like streaming your favorite shows. You don't need a special app or a credit card; just connect to the "Starlink Wi-Fi on HawaiianAir" network, and you're online. Hawaiian Airlines is still rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi on its Boeing 787 aircraft, in partnership with SpaceX and Boeing. JetBlue In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: Free Free Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) Before Hawaiian Airlines offered in-flight Wi-Fi for free, JetBlue was the only major airline service to offer that amenity to its customers. JetBlue offers "high-speed" Wi-Fi through Viasat. You must navigate to to connect your device to the network. Passengers can use it to browse the web, send messages and emails or stream video. JetBlue also offers full access to Peacock during flights. Southwest In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: $8 per device $8 per device Streaming video: No (movies and TV shows are available on-demand free of charge, including select live TV channels) No (movies and TV shows are available on-demand free of charge, including select live TV channels) Texting: Yes, no purchase necessary (no SMS) Not all of Southwest's aircraft are outfitted with Wi-Fi networks, but those that are offer passengers free access to movies and on-demand TV shows, including select live programming, as well as free music through iHeartRadio and free texting via iMessage or WhatsApp. Passengers can pay $8 per device for full web access, which adds in browsing, but due to bandwidth constraints, you won't be able to stream video from Netflix, Hulu or other services, nor will you be able to use video-conferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Spirit Airlines In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: $6 to browse/text, $8 to stream $6 to browse/text, $8 to stream Streaming video: Yes Yes Texting: Yes (no SMS) Spirit promises to offer the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi of any airline based in the US, with advertised speeds topping out "up to 400Mbps." That's pretty fast for in-flight Wi-Fi that gets online via satellite, but you likely won't get more than 7 to 10Mbps during your flight. Spirit uses Thales' SES-17 satellite system to provide coverage for travelers. Browsing and sending messages requires a $6 fee per device and you'll need to make that $8 if you want a connection that's fast enough to stream video. Wi-Fi is available across most of Spirit's fleet, including all of its Airbus A320 and A321 planes, though the company is still rolling out connectivity to Airbus A319s. United In-flight Wi-Fi: Yes Yes Wi-Fi cost: $8 (or 800 miles) for MileagePlus members, $10 for nonmembers $8 (or 800 miles) for MileagePlus members, $10 for nonmembers Streaming video: Sometimes Sometimes Texting: Yes (no SMS) United offers in-flight Wi-Fi for most North American flights by way of four separate providers: Gogo, Panasonic, Thales and Viasat. That's slated to change soon. United plans to partner with Starlink in 2025 to test in-flight Wi-Fi and eventually pivot to using Starlink for all flights. In most cases, the cost to connect is $8 (or 1,600 miles) for MileagePlus members and $10 for everyone else, though United cautions that those prices could be higher on some of its longer international flights. Once connected, you'll be able to browse the web and send messages via supported apps, including iMessage, WhatsApp and Messages by Google. Most flights won't allow you to stream video directly from sites like YouTube and Netflix, so instead, you'll have to watch movies and TV shows from your flight's free onboard entertainment catalog. However, you can stream video on select Airbus 319 and Boeing 737 aircraft within United's fleet, including the 737 Max 8 and 9 and Boeing 757-300s. If you have a T-Mobile Experience plan, you'll also be eligible for free in-flight Wi-Fi on United Airlines flights. For more, check out our tested picks for the best Wi-Fi routers, and how to tell if your router is in the wrong spot. Airplane Wi-Fi FAQ Is there an airline with free Wi-Fi? Yes, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue offer Wi-Fi service at no charge. However, Delta Airlines offers its SkyMiles members free Wi-Fi; otherwise, nonmembers will have to pay $10. How much does Wi-Fi cost on a plane? Prices and terms can vary from airline to airline and with your flights as well. However, as seen with the airlines mentioned on this page, WI-Fi service can start anywhere between $6 and $25, with Alaska Airlines being the most expensive at $25 on some flights.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Rallies 9.27% as $550-Million Deal With Ligado Network Gets Judge OK
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) is one of the . AST SpaceMobile rallied for a third consecutive day on Monday, adding 9.27 percent to close at $50.20 apiece after securing the approval of a court judge for its $550 million spectrum-sharing agreement with Ligado Network. On Monday, Delaware Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Horan officially gave the green light for AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) and Ligado Network's multi-million dollar partnership, which would allow the former to use the latter's L-band spectrum in developing next-generation satellite internet infrastructure. In return, Ligado Network will receive 17.5 percent of future revenues generated from the spectrum-sharing agreement. 'The Inmarsat agreement is integral to the resolution of the issues with AST. I'm going to grant the motion today,' Judge Horan was quoted as saying. An aerial view of a communications satellite in orbit, beaming its signal down to Earth. The court ruling stemmed from the litigation case filed by Inmarsat Global Ltd., a subsidiary of Viasat Inc., which alleged that Ligado Network's partnership with AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) unlawfully assigned rights under their existing cooperation agreement. While we acknowledge the potential of ASTS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Arab News
18-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
India grants license to Musk's Starlink
NEW DELHI: New Delhi had granted a license to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite Internet service, opening India's 'next frontier of connectivity,' according to the country's communications minister. The launch of Starlink, which provides high-speed Internet access to remote locations using low Earth orbit satellites, has sparked fierce debate in India over issues ranging from predatory pricing to spectrum allocation. Communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said he held a 'productive meeting' with Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of Starlink owner SpaceX. Shotwell 'appreciated the license granted to Starlink, calling it a great start to the journey,' the minister said late Tuesday on Musk-owned social media platform X. It follows two of India's biggest telecom service providers – Jio Platforms and its rival Bharti Airtel – in March announcing deals with SpaceX to offer Starlink Internet to their customers. SpaceX owner Musk has butted heads with Asia's richest man and Jio Platforms owner Mukesh Ambani over how the satellite spectrum should be awarded. While Musk's business interests in India are currently limited to X, the tech mogul's electric vehicle maker Tesla is preparing its entry into the country.
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Eutelsat CEO Races to Raise Funds to Keep Starlink Rival Afloat
Europe's only Starlink alternative has to get cash fast to have any hope of challenging Elon Musk's provider of satellite-based internet services. Jean-François Fallacher, who took over as chief executive officer of Eutelsat Communications SA last week, is scrambling to get funds to save OneWeb, the constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that Eutelsat, based in a suburb of Paris, acquired in a $3.4 billion deal in 2023.
Coin Geek
26-05-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Amazon eyes India for Kuiper satellite internet
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Jeff Bezos-led Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is gearing up to introduce its ambitious satellite Internet initiative, Project Kuiper, to the Indian market. The company is expected to receive a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in the near future—a crucial milestone that precedes formal authorization to operate in the country, according to media reports. This LoI would pave the way for Amazon to obtain a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) license, which is mandatory for delivering satellite-based Internet services within India. Once operational, Project Kuiper would become the second major player in India's satellite broadband space, following Elon Musk's Starlink, which already has a vast constellation of over 6,000 satellites orbiting Earth. In contrast, Amazon intends to deploy a network of more than 3,200 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO refers to the region of space that stretches up to 2,000 kilometers (approximately 1,243 miles) above the Earth's surface. Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites are designed to operate at altitudes between 590 and 630 kilometers (roughly 367 to 392 miles). This close proximity to Earth allows the satellites to provide low-latency, high-speed Internet connections. As a result, Project Kuiper is well-suited for data-intensive applications such as high-definition video streaming, online gaming, and real-time video conferencing, where speed and responsiveness are critical for a smooth user experience. Both Kuiper and Starlink—spearheaded by tech giants Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, respectively—will likely begin their Indian ventures with pilot programs, mirroring the market testing strategy previously employed by services like JioFiber. These initial trials would help evaluate consumer demand and service performance ahead of a nationwide rollout. On May 7, Starlink secured a Letter of Intent from DoT, a key development signaling the government's preliminary approval. This milestone marks significant progress in Starlink's efforts to offer high-speed satellite Internet to Indian consumers, particularly in remote and underserved regions. Once Amazon secures the LoI, it will become the second global satellite Internet provider to receive this preliminary approval under India's updated satellite Internet framework, further signaling the country's openness to next-generation connectivity solutions from international operators. India has demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to advancing space technology, driven by intensive research efforts and strategic international collaborations. The country has prioritized innovation in satellite development, launch capabilities, planetary exploration, and space-based services. Through organizations like the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India has continually expanded its capabilities, partnering with global space agencies, academic institutions, and private players to accelerate progress. This focus not only underscores India's ambition to be a key player in the global space sector but also reflects its broader vision of leveraging space technology for national development and international cooperation. Project Kuiper is reportedly pursuing fast-tracked regulatory clearance from India's DoT to establish its footprint in the country's emerging satellite broadband sector. This move positions Amazon's satellite Internet venture to follow the path of Musk's Starlink, which has already begun laying the groundwork for its services in India. Project Kuiper intends to build a robust network across India, including deploying 10 ground-based gateway stations and two key points of presence (PoPs) to ensure efficient data routing and connectivity. These components are crucial for delivering high-speed, low-latency Internet services using the LEO satellite constellation. Amazon is targeting a commercial rollout in India by the end of the year, depending on how swiftly regulatory permissions are granted. With this expansion, Project Kuiper aims to bring reliable satellite-based broadband to underserved and remote areas, further intensifying the competition in India's rapidly evolving Internet landscape. In April, Amazon successfully launched the first 27 satellites of its Project Kuiper broadband constellation from Florida, marking the beginning of a long-anticipated rollout of its space-based Internet network. This milestone initiates Amazon's plan to deploy 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit, forming the backbone of its $10 billion initiative to provide high-speed Internet access across the globe. First announced in 2019, Project Kuiper is designed to serve a wide range of users—including individuals, enterprises, and government agencies—placing Amazon in direct competition with SpaceX's well-established Starlink service. Project Kuiper represents one of Amazon's most significant strategic ventures to date. The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide by offering reliable broadband connectivity in areas that have long struggled with access. Initially, Amazon intended to begin deploying its operational satellites as early as 2024, but the timeline slipped by more than a year due to development and regulatory delays. Watch: Building more trustworthy internet of the future with Metanet title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
