WiFi on airplanes has become a staple as we take to the skies and travel around the world. From perusing social media to getting that extra little bit of work done, there are many who take advantage of the Internet at 35,000 feet. However, those who wished to use such services to stream their favorite show or movie to kill the time on those flights had to do without as WiFi speeds couldn’t sustain such demands on data. Virgin America is working to make that a thing of the past though as they plan on adding Internet speeds that will allow passengers to stream movies, music and shows.
According to Virgin America the new Internet service will allow uses to stream Netflix, Hulu, and other services, and will be added to a number of planes here in the fall. There will be 10 planes that will get the speed boost starting in September with more tests scheduled for Hawaiian flights in 2016.
To achieve these speeds, Virgin America will use two satellites known as Ka and Ku. Ka will be used for domestic flights while Ku will do the heavy lifting for trips abroad. The satellites are expected to obtain speeds that are “30 times the speed of the original ATG that most airplanes still fly, and 10 times what our current aircraft will do,” according to what Virgin America CEO C. David Kush told CNBC.
Flights that receive the speed boost in September will connect to Ka while the Hawaiian flights will connect to Ku here in 2016. During the beta test rollout, passengers of Virgin America will get access to free WiFi. In 2016, pricing for the service will be introduced.
While Internet WiFi already costs a pretty penny, we can hope that this new service with these faster speeds won’t cost an arm and a leg. Do you take advantage of WiFi when you’re flying? Would you take advantage of streaming services if you had faster Internet at 35,000 feet? Let us know on any of our social media accounts or in the comment section below.
[button link=”http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/virgin-america-planes-to-get-wifi-fast-enough-to-stream-netflix-10375058.html” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: The Independent [/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
