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Elon Musk’s satellite Internet will appear on airplanes. SpaceX is already in talks with several airlines

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite Internet, actively deployed by SpaceX, is not only getting faster, but also expanding into new areas. Earlier, Musk (Elon Musk) promised to make Starlink mobile: it can be used on ships, trucks and airplanes. And now, Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of SpaceX, said the firm is in talks with a number of airlines to use Starlink on board aircraft: “We have our own aircraft product in development … we have already done several demonstrations to date and hope that this product will be finalized for aircraft installation in the very near future.”.

Elon Musk's satellite Internet will appear on airplanes.  SpaceX is already in talks with several airlines

We are talking about a set for working with Starlink. A custom set of equipment, consisting of a satellite dish and a Wi-Fi router, costs $ 499. The kit for aircraft use, according to Hoffler, is similar to the consumer’s one, but “with obvious improvements for aviation use.” He also added that the aircraft equipment is designed and built by SpaceX itself.

In March of this year, SpaceX requested permission from the regulator, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to use Starlink with the so-called “mobile ground stations” (Earth Stations in Motion) – they mean almost any vehicle, including trucks, ships and planes. But Musk has already clarified that we are not talking about Tesla cars – for them the equipment is still too bulky. Another request from SpaceX to the FCC last Friday concerns an updated square antenna receiver – the company is seeking approval to test new equipment in five US states. Antennas of this shape are commonly used in aviation.

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