In cockpit WIFI

[LesGawlik]

https://www.starlink.com/aviation

Courtesy of Elon.

The prices are nuts now, as are all the other internet options. But it shouldn't be any more expensive to provide the service in the air than on the ground. I suspect prices will drop.

 

[Racerx]

150k install plus a 12-25k a month subscription... Woof.

Besides, I fly to escape the world.

 

[FORANE]

That's likely the certified version...

 

[Martin Pauly]

But it shouldn't be any more expensive to provide the service in the air than on the ground. I suspect prices will drop.

Providing the service will indeed cost the same. But they are competing against very different products - land-based internet (cheap) vs. in-flight WIFI (expensive). My prediction is the accounts for airborne use will cost much, much more than for ground use, and the receivers will include GPS if for no other reason than to determine if they are on the ground, on a boat, or on an airplane (with different price tiers).

- Martin

 

[Jeff Oslick]

Are the services really the same? I would think the processes (hardware and software) needed to seamlessly hand-off internet traffic in an aircraft that is travelling at high speed, while at times banking, would be substantially more complex than what is needed to deliver the service to a static ground station.

 

[Pinecone]

Ground station may be static, but satellite is moving at about 7.6 kps or about 17000 MPH. You plane is SLOW compared to that.

 

[Pinecone]

Iridium is about $800 - $1000 for the equipment, plus install. Then $140 per month for unlimited data.

 

[schmookeeg]

Iridium is about $800 - $1000 for the equipment, plus install. Then $140 per month for unlimited data.

At miserly and unreliable dial-up bitrates as I recall. Not sure the comparison holds here.

But yeah, this offering has too many zeroes for my checkbook.

 

[Pinecone]

Supposed iridium has a data rate to carry voice calls.

 

[Hang 4]

Starlink is very different tech from Iridium. Much more scale in both Satellites and user base. Costs on an individual basis should be way lower and data throughput is much higher. To @Martin Pauly point, that may have little to do with pricing.

 

[LesGawlik]

I am certain there will be a mobile Starlink receiver. All we have to do is slow down to highway speeds or find a way to spoof speed and/or altitude.

 

[Pinecone]

It seems that StarLink is aiming at the biz jet market.

Maybe someday they will figure out that there a LOT of smaller aircraft that want and could use inflight connectivity.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Yes, this is clearly aimed at bizjets... And because of that, the prices are ridiculously jacked.

I doubt this will change.

 

[WDD]

Much cheaper option available today!! Just get some duct tape, find a nice flat spot on top of your wing, and.......