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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is expanding the business of its satellite internet unit into in-flight Wi-Fi service, launching Starlink Aviation on Wednesday, offering customers $150,000 worth of aircraft antennas amid the growing competition for in-flight connectivity.
In addition to a one-time $150,000 hardware cost, SpaceX’s expanding network of thousands of internet satellites, Starlink, will charge customers seeking broadband internet on private jets between $12,500 and $25,000 a month, the company said on its website. service fee.
Starlink Aviation said on its website that deliveries to the terminal will begin in mid-2023, and bookings will cost $5,000. It added that each terminal can provide speeds of up to 350 Mbps, which is sufficient for video calls and online gaming.
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Companies building low-Earth orbit satellite networks to deliver broadband internet, such as SpaceX’s Starlink and UK-backed satellite operator OneWeb, are vying for airline and private jet services in a market dominated by the likes of Inmarsat and its rival ViaSat. Plan to merge.
OneWeb announced Tuesday a deal with in-flight broadband giant Panasonic Avionics, which serves about 70 airlines, to sell OneWeb’s broadband service to airlines by mid-2023.
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Britain’s competition watchdog last week cited Viasat’s planned acquisition of rival Inmarsat as part of an in-depth investigation, fearing the partnership could hamper new competition in the aviation connectivity market and raise prices for airlines’ onboard Wi-Fi.
SpaceX plans to provide Starlink internet connectivity to Hawaiian Airlines planes next year. The company serves marine customers and RVs, and already has tens of thousands of individual consumers paying $110 a month for a $599 terminal.
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