JetBlue completed its rollout of satellite Wi-Fi this week, meaning its entire 227-strong fleet now boasts what the airline describes as "broadband speeds" for every customer.
It's been a long wait for JetBlue flyers. The airline was relatively late to the inflight Wi-Fi phenomenon, outfitting its first aircraft in 2013, nearly five years after Gogo made its debut on commercial planes in the US.
The wait appears to be worth it: not only is JetBlue's satellite technology faster than its air-to-ground competitors, but it's free. Gogo, meanwhile, charges $19 for a day pass if you buy it in advance, and some of its single-flight plans creep above $30 if they're purchased after takeoff.
JetBlue claimed in 2015 that its Wi-Fi service, installed by ViaSat, offers up to to 20Mbps for each device. That's robust enough for streaming video, JetBlue says, although a partnership with Amazon means that the airline prioritizes Amazon's service over other streaming options.
"It's 2017 and our customers expect to be connected everywhere, whether that be from the comfort of their sofa or 35,000 feet above it," Jamie Perry, JetBlue's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. JetBlue's Wi-Fi is only available over the continental US, which means portions of flights to and from the Carribean and South America aren't connected.
Other airlines are also recognizing the benefits of satellite Wi-Fi. After suing Gogo over slow in-flight Internet last year, American Airlines selected ViaSat to provide connectivity for its new fleet of Boeing 737 MAX planes. Gogo, meanwhile, is starting to roll out its own satellite service, called 2Ku. Delta Air Lines announced in May that it plans to install 2Ku on more than 600 planes.