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United Airlines is set to introduce the world’s fastest and most reliable in-flight internet, Starlink, soon. As per a recent press release, United expects to begin testing Starlink next month, with the first commercial flight anticipated to take off this spring on an Embraer E-175 aircraft. Aggressive rollout: The airline has an aggressive schedule to have its entire two-cabin regional fleet equipped with Starlink by the end of 2025. United also expects to have its first mainline Starlink-enabled plane in service before the year ends.  Starlink will eventually be rolled out to United Airlines’ entire fleet. Starlink’s rollout will provide United passengers with access to high-speed, low-latency internet from gate to gate, making in-flight activities like streaming, gaming, and shopping,...

Starlink’s official X account recently announced that its constellation has grown 10x its size since its first SpaceX launch in 2024. “SpaceX’s first launch of 2024 deployed our first set of Starlink sats with the Direct to Cell capability to help end cellphone dead zones. Today, the Direct to Cell constellation is nearly 10x the size of all other operators pursuing a similar combined capability,” an X post said.Starlink Direct to Cell received a US commercial license from the United States Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in November. However, the Starlink cellular network proved its mettle way before receiving its FCC license. Thanks to temporary approval, Starlink Direct to Cell was briefly allowed to offer its services to states hit by...

SpaceX’s Starlink is reportedly talking with British Airways owner IAG SA. IAG owns Spain’s Iberia and Ireland’s Aer Lingus. According to the airline group’s Head of Innovation, Annalisa Gigante, the certification process is Starlink’s only obstacle to offering internet services aboard IAG aircraft. Gigante explained that US airlines can easily offer Starlink services aboard its aircraft because SpaceX’s internet connection has been certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration. However, European airlines must undergo a certification process to offer Starlink services. IAG’s Head of Innovation explained that British Airways must undergo a separate certification from Iberia to operate Starlink. As per Fortune, a SpaceX spokesperson commented on the company’s discussions with IAG, stating: “This is not accurate.” The SpaceX spokesperson...

India is planning to relax security requirements for a satcom licence, in what could be a big win for Elon Musk Starlink, said people with knowledge of the matter. This would include allowing remote management of satellite networks and doing away with the condition of latitude-longitude binding of a fixed satellite terminal, they said.The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has discussed and shared proposed changes with the four major players — Bharti-backed Eutelsat Oneweb, Reliance Jio-SES, Starlink and Amazon Kuiper — for providing their inputs in a week, officials told ET.“While Starlink was positive about the changes, and said it was ready to comply and share its inputs soon, others sought more time to revert,” said one of them. Amazon asked...

The Pentagon sent SpaceX a contract to expand its Starlink Starshield internet services in Ukraine. Under the Pentagon’s new contract with SpaceX, Starlink will provide connection through its Starshield internet services.  SpaceX launched Starlink Starshield in 2022 to support national security.  “While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on three areas: Earth Observation, Communications, and Hosted Payloads,” noted SpaceX at the time.  Under the Pentagon’s new contract, Starlink’s 2,500 terminals already functioning in Ukraine will gain access to Startshield. An additional 500 Starlink terminals were sent to Ukraine, already connected to Starshield. The militarized version of Starlink reportedly offers a classified and encrypted signal, making it difficult to...