According to a new analysis from Ookla, the Starlink satellite internet service has achieved a record for providing the fastest internet speeds available aboard aircraft.
Ookla analysts conducted a comparison of performance metrics across various internet service providers offering connectivity on airplanes. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, emerged with the leading performance, recording a median download speed of 152 megabits per second (Mbps) during flights. This speed significantly surpasses its competitors: Hughes followed with 85 Mbps, Intelsat with 65 Mbps, and Viasat with 50 Mbps.
The report also highlights Starlink`s low latency as a key advantage. The service, which is becoming increasingly available on many commercial flights, demonstrated the lowest data transmission delay at 45 milliseconds. The next fastest provider, MTN Satellite Communications, showed a considerably higher latency of 667 milliseconds. Industry observers attribute Starlink`s superior performance largely to its vast network of approximately 7,000 satellites orbiting the Earth at a relatively low altitude of around 550 kilometers.
Adding to the findings, the Ookla data indicated that Starlink`s internet speed experienced by passengers on airplanes is, on average, faster than the speeds received by its typical ground-based residential customers in the United States. The median in-flight speed of 152 Mbps is higher than the median 105 Mbps recorded for Starlink users on the ground in the US.
In related news from late June, researchers in China reported achieving a stable satellite internet connection speed of 1 gigabit per second in laboratory testing.
