JetBlue Picks Amazon’s Project Kuiper for Faster, Free Wi-Fi
JetBlue revealed today a new partnership with Amazon that will bring even faster and more reliable connectivity to its onboard Wi-Fi known as Fly-Fi.
JetBlue is the first airline with plans to bring Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite internet network to its commercial airline customers.
JetBlue launched Fly-Fi in 2013 to become the first and still only major U.S. airline to offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi on every aircraft in its fleet. The airline will start to introduce Project Kuiper’s technology on a portion of its fleet in 2027 with a phased rollout to follow.
Unlike traditional geostationary satellites that orbit approximately 22,369 miles (36,000 km) above the planet, low Earth orbit systems operate at much lower altitudes. In the case of Kuiper, satellites orbit between 367 and 391 miles (590 and 630 km) above Earth, which translates to lower latency and more reliable service for travelers on board. Amazon now has more than 100 Kuiper satellites in orbit.
JetBlue will install Project Kuiper technology on aircraft currently flying JetBlue’s original Fly-Fi technology. While aircraft outfitted with Project Kuiper will rely on the new low Earth orbit system, JetBlue also says that it will explore a multi-orbit solution in the future, which could combine the strengths of both its low Earth orbit and GEO networks for even more robust inflight connectivity.
The carrier says that more details on installation timelines, routes, and aircraft will be shared as things progress.
