The deal will see 100 planes of JSX equipped with Starlink terminals
JSX to deploy Starlink satellite internet services. (Credit: Official SpaceX Photos/Wikipedia.org)
SpaceX has signed a deal to provide its Starlink satellite internet services to JSX, a US-based semi-private charter company.
The internet services will be delivered to JSX’ fleet of planes.
The deal marks SpaceX’s foray into the in-flight Wi-Fi market, reported Reuters.
Under the agreement, 100 planes of JSX will be equipped with Starlink terminals. The first Starlink-connected plane is expected to take flight by the year-end.
JSX tweeted: “JSX is proud to be the first air carrier to adopt @SpaceX Starlink internet inflight, free for every Customer onboard. We’d call it the best Wi-Fi in the sky, but it’s actually the greatest Wi-Fi in the galaxy – coming later this year.”
The internet service on JSX planes can be availed without logging in and involves no complexities related to legacy systems.
Starlink is claimed to use advanced satellites in a low orbit to facilitate video calls, streaming, online gaming, and other high data rate activities that were not historically possible with satellite internet. Users can get download speeds between 100Mb/s to 200 Mb/s and latency is 20ms in most locations, as per Starlink’s website.
Since 2019, SpaceX has launched nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. The network is yet to be deployed fully, but is already offering broadband internet service to thousands of customers in certain countries.
SpaceX has asked for regulatory approval from the US Federal Communications Commission for operating the Starlink service on aircraft and shipping vessels. In the past, the company had put the internet network to test on a few Gulfstream jets and military aircraft as well.
Earlier this week, Falcon 9 launched 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.