SpaceX plans to provide internet service on airplanes

Leading Internet service provider SpaceX has inked a deal with JSX, a chartered airline to provide inflight internet service on airplanes using its Starlink broadband satellites.

SpaceX said that the service will be made available later this year to JSX customers. The charter airlines company plans to provide Starlink-supported inflight WiFi on 100 of its aircraft through this collaboration.

JSX declined to disclose the total contract value of the deal to the press but said that SpaceX has been in talks with many airlines recently and it is not clear who else will prefer SpaceX’s in-air Internet. SpaceX founder and CEO, Elon Musk, had hinted in 2021 that SpaceX was targeting different airplane types for its Starlink services.

JSX representatives said in an emailed statement that announced the new deal that the service is going to be provided free of cost and the process is aimed to be absolutely user-friendly.

JSX's Embraer ERJ aircraft cater to business users as they are low-volume (30 seats) and fly point-to-point between several high-population cities, mainly in the western U.S. and Texas. JSX also offers valet service and 20-minute check-in service at the airport, as compared to the typical 90 minutes or more for domestic journeys.

SpaceX representatives have claimed that Starlink is a great alternative for rural or remote customers who are fed up with their existing internet. This client group could include airline business customers looking for better internet in-air, to continue their work on the go.

"Users can expect download speeds between 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps in most locations," the Starlink home page states of its service to ground terminals. The page does not say what those speeds might be at 30,000 feet (9 kilometers) above Earth.