Britain’s broadband is improving with millions now able to access ultra-fast full fibre technology. However, despite the latest boost, millions of homes are still struggling with substandard speeds and dismal downloads. Those in more rural areas often remain hamstrung by slow connections that can’t get above 70Mbps. At that rate, it would take over 10 minutes to whizz a full HD movie to a TV and almost two hours to download a AAA PS5 title to consoles.
With the world moving to a digital future, it’s simply not quick enough, and to add insult to injury, it’s now possible to get speeds over three times faster when travelling at 30,000 feet.
US airline United has just confirmed the launch of its new onboard Wi-Fi service. It’s being provided via Elon Musk’s space-aged Starlink platform, and it sounds mightily impressive.
United is promising passengers will be able to access Wi-Fi from their seats and get download speeds in excess of 250Mbps when flying from A to B.
United says it hopes to have this latest technology installed on around 300 planes before the and of the year.
“Our ability to roll-out this innovative service with unprecedented speed and scale is a direct result of the advanced equipment, technology and team of experts at United,” said United’s VP of Digital Technology, Grant Milstead. “Starlink has been a terrific partner – our combined spirit of innovation and collaboration will enable us to hit our goal of more than 300 regional aircraft installations before the end of this year.”
Along with its rapid speeds, Starlink can be fitted to planes much quicker than some rival networks, with engineers taking around half the time to install it.
It also weighs a lot less than older systems which helps reduce airline fuel costs – it is also easier maintain and isn’t affected by weather conditions on the ground.
To prove it works, United has already given some US-based tech journalists a taste of what’s to come with Points Guy’s Sean Cudahy confirming he was able to access the web at speeds in excess of 200Mbps.
“United certainly isn’t exaggerating on the speed of the service: I was able to simultaneously watch a live news feed about the selection of a new Pope on one device, and stream a live Major League Baseball game on another,” said Cudahy.
Of course, this service is only available on certain routes in the US, but it does show how fast broadband can be with the right investment.
There’s no word that other UK airlines are considering something similar, but watch this space.
If your broadband is dismal, it is worth noting that Starlink’s satellite services are available across most of the UK. However, it is pretty expensive with set-up fees of around £300 and monthly costs od £75.
