Virgin America planes to get wifi fast enough to stream Netflix

The Virgin America Wi-Fi will come from ViaSat-1, ViaSat’s high-capacity Ka-band satellite that provides 140 gigabits-per-second Wi-Fi connectivity service.

The ViaSat connectivity solution uses a hybrid Ku-/Ka-band receiver and satellite technology, which has the capacity to deliver 140Gbps of throughput.

Virgin might be singing praises of this faster connectivity but we’ll only know for sure when it goes live, to be honest though, who wouldn’t like the ability to stream audio and video during those long boring flights? Virgin America wants to change this.

“We are starting out with the new planes”, Cush began.

Virgin America will begin installation of ViaSat’s systems immediately – with the first Ka-band antenna equipped aircraft to take flight in the continental U.S.in September 2015. Hawaii flights will get Ku-band planes from early 2016. During the beta period rollout the service will be offered free on the first ViaSat equipped aircraft.

“Earning the “Top Domestic Airline” distinction in the Travel + Leisure for the eighth consecutive year is a tremendous honor – and reflects our continued commitment to delivering a “guest-centric” travel experience on every flight through better design, technology and topnotch service”, said David Cush, Virgin America President and CEO. He replied, “Well, we think it’s a significant competitive advantage”. “Virgin America is a brand that shares our love of innovation and strives to bring the best service possible to the traveler”.

Its an eight-hour sale, and Virgin says its their biggest deal of the year. Thanks to a technology partnership with ViaSat, Virgin America passengers will soon be able to enjoy speeds eight to ten times faster than any other in-flight system – and close to speeds you get at home. Passengers can also stream videos, navigate through active maps and even listen in surround sound. The airline has not yet made a technology decision with respect to the rest of the fleet.