Ookla Lifts the Lid on Satellite Connectivity

I thought I was living the lonely life of a disconnected traveler without any hope of sympathy or understanding until I dialed into Ookla's latest reports on in-flight connectivity. Here, I discovered, Ookla gets me.

I have somehow gotten my United account crossed up with one of my sons, so periodically, when I am traveling, I get a call/text/email to let me know that, once again, my son is getting alerts regarding my travel. Before boarding my latest flight - today - heading to SmallSat Europe in Amsterdam - he let me know that the wi-fi might not be working on my flight.

You are seeing this message because the wi-fi IS working!

Little did my son know that wi-fi in airplanes has become an intense battleground. The average traveler can be forgiven for not realizing what is afoot, but for the seasoned traveler awareness of the availability and cost of wi-fi is seriously triggering.

As a frequent United flyer (just 400,000 miles away from lifetime Global Services status!) I can attest to the ridiculous experiences I have had on multiple United flights domestically and overseas. I have experienced the payment acknowledgement followed by the "wi-fi isn't working" notification. I have experienced - many, many times - the full-flight payment that only works for ... maybe? ... one quarter of the flight!!

Sometimes the cabin crew knows what is happening. Sometimes the cabin crew only "gets it" after 2-3-10 customer complaints, followed by the announcement that the wi-fi is not working.

Delta has inexplicably seized upon this third rail of flyer satisfaction/dissatisfaction as an opportunity to differentiate the flying experience on Delta vs. United. I say/write "inexplicably" because I know what you already know, that wi-fi connectivity in airplanes is dependent upon a variety of hardware, software, and wireless systems that alone or in concert can inexplicably fail! You do you, Delta!

Which speaks to the fortitude and corporate courage of Delta Air Lines. Delta has been successful, in spite of eschewing a relationship with Starlink, which has muscled its way into the aeronautics market, gobbling up market share at a pace only limited by the time it takes to retrofit or build in Starlink connectivity on airplanes.

Ookla has chronicled the onset of Starlink connectivity in airplanes to a degree that is both revelatory and embarrassing, maybe. Ookla's data suggests that Starlink is not only gobbling up market share of in-flight connectivity, but is also delivering extraordinary performance in both uploading and downloading data.

Ookla's performance metrics, so familiar from its terrestrial analysis, is showing an extraordinary transformation of in-flight connectivity in both speed and availability that is altering the relationship between airlines and their customers. And, of course, as in any industry, airlines are desperately seeking differentiating advantages.

The truly scary experience proposed by Starlink in the airline industry is the reality that its wireless reliability and performance appears to be steadily improving vis-a-vis GEO satellite operators such as Intelsat, Viasat, and Inmarsat. This is despite the reality that GEO operators are increasingly shifting toward "multi-orbit" connectivity incorporating LEO and MEO satellites.

For the average flier none of this matters. On my current flight to Amsterdam, to attend the SmallSat Europe event, the flight attendants with whom I spoke had zero awareness of a wi-fi-not-working notification going out to passengers. They also had no idea as to what wi-fi solution was available "on-board." But, yeah, they could get me a Diet Coke.

According to Ookla, customer satisfaction with in-flight wi-fi is now on par with in-flight beverage and food (is that a good thing?), but at least is beating seat comfort. In-flight wi-fi is now a customer loyalty lever.

You know, that all sounds great to me, especially when my airline wants to know what I want to eat on my flight in advance. Guess what, I'd also like to know whether I'm going to have wi-fi. It may be asking too much, today, to know whether I will have wi-fi and/or whether it will be Starlink wi-fi... on MY plane, but if that makes a difference... if that matters... presumably the airlines will make the effort to get it right.

Mr. Lanctot - "You are confirmed with a coach seat for your flight tomorrow and your wireless connectivity during the flight is guaranteed to be available for your entire flight."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roger Lanctot is president of the Mobile Satellite Users Association and CEO and Founder of StrategiaNow Consulting. Roger draws on 30+ years’ experience in the technology industry as an analyst, journalist and consultant. Roger is a graduate of Dartmouth College. His 190,000 followers on LinkedIn reflects the influence of his insights and perspectives on automotive and transportation technology, policy, and strategy.