In a new contract with the semi-private airline JSX, SpaceX intends to make its Starlink satellite internet available to its passengers in flight for the first time.
JSX CEO Alex Wilcox told CNBC that under the company’s contract with SpaceX, about 100 aircraft will receive Starlink Internet services.
Wilcox expects its passengers to have access to the Internet by the fourth quarter of this year. According to reports, this feature is currently being tested on one of the JSX aircraft to be reviewed and approved by regulatory authorities. However, SpaceX, a space services company owned by Ilan Mask, is receiving the regulatory approvals it needs to use the Starlink flight service.
Although the financial details of the contract between JSX and SpaceX have not been revealed yet, the StarX SpaceX service will be available to the company’s passengers completely free of charge and they will not need a login page to access the network.
SpaceX has mentioned the possibility of connecting to the Internet in flight several times since the launch of its satellite Internet services. To date, the company has launched about 2,000 Starlink satellites to support its global network.
About 250,000 subscribers have also received satellite internet services, with the standard service costing $ 110 a month and the superior service costing $ 500 a month.
JSX Flight Services Company was established in 2016 and operates point-to-point flights between large and small airports, mainly in California and Texas. The airline currently has 77 Embraer jets that can carry 30 people.