United Airlines recently completed a successful test flight with Starlink Wi-Fi on an Embraer E-175 regional jet. The 90-minute round-trip flight took off from and landed back at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
This wasn’t just a regular flight but a special event for media and influencers, where United executives handed out snacks and Champagne to showcase the new feature. The Embraer E-175, a compact regional jet that can hold up to 88 passengers, was equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi for the test.
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How fast was the Starlink Wi-Fi during the flight? The Starlink Wi-Fi delivered great speeds, hitting peak downloads of 222 Mbps and uploads between 6 and 18 Mbps, though it occasionally dropped to 8.15 Mbps download and 3.95 Mbps upload in spots with weaker signals.
Photo credit: The Verge
Even so, the connection was strong enough for streaming, gaming (like World of Warcraft), and even FaceTime calls. No one mentioned latency specifically, but Starlink’s low-latency satellite network should handle everyday tasks easily.
To use it, passengers needed a free MileagePlus account, and United plans to offer Starlink Wi-Fi for free, unlike most airlines that charge $8 or more for in-flight Wi-Fi. Passengers connected through United’s Wi-Fi network (“Unitedwifi[.]com”) after agreeing to a code of conduct.
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