United Airlines has signed a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to provide free Wi-Fi on flights via its Starlink satellite internet service, but it will take several years to roll it out to the entire fleet.

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United Airlines passengers will be able to use free Wi-Fi on flights starting next year. Photo: techopedia

The service will be tested from early 2025 and available to passengers thereafter. Anything customers can do on the ground can be done on board at 35,000 feet, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement.

Currently, if you want to use Wi-Fi while flying, United Airlines passengers have to pay between $8 and $10.

United Airlines will be the second major airline to offer free Wi-Fi on its planes. Delta Air Lines began offering the service to its frequent flyers on domestic flights last year and is in the process of expanding it to international flights.

Smaller airlines, like JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines, also offer free Wi-Fi on board.

The difference, though, is that Starlink offers an experience closer to broadband than the sometimes patchy performance of in-flight Wi-Fi. That means users can access streaming services and watch TV without interruption, play online games, and connect multiple devices at once.

But first, United Airlines must get the Federal Aviation Administration to approve the hardware used to provide in-flight Wi-Fi.

(According to Fortune)