We tested the satellite internet connection on board a Qatar Airways flight, which offers the service free of charge to passengers in all classes.
There is a lot of curiosity: to understand if the internet connection on the plane is offered by StarlinkThat promises to be superfast and at low latency (i.e. with minimal response times), it really is even under stress. That is, on a full flight and with a large number of passengers using the service at the same time.
The ideal candidate is a route served by Qatar Airwayswhich decided to offer Starlink to passengers of every classwithout limits. So not only to the lucky ones in Business Class, but also to those who sit in Economy and perhaps have found a discounted ticket for their holidays.
How to access the service
Equipped with a notebook, or rather with the notes app on our smartphone, we were ready to write down the steps necessary to register. The point is, there aren’t any. Just search for the Qatar Airways, Oryx Comms Wi-Fi network, select it and, without filling out any form or wait for a confirmation email, without even entering any password, you are already connected. You don’t even have to wait for the plane to reach cruising altitude: you can already start sailing at the gate. We learn that this opportunity depends on the route and the aircraft, but the general perspective is this.
What can be done
Well, it remains to understand at what pace we travel. In our case it was a Thursday afternoon, on a journey between Milan Malpensa and the company’s base, Doha, from which we then continue towards the rest of the world. Afternoon flight, with good filling (for the more technical, the typical load factor fluctuates between 80 and 90 percent on that route), therefore very few sleepespecially while waiting for the main meal to be served. There are those who want to get some work done, those who just want to relax, perhaps listening to music or a podcast, continuing to watch their TV series in streaming or playing a video game. Well, Starlink makes everything possible in a lightning-fast way. Because, without too many turns of phrase, the yield is surprising. As under a 5G network, as with home Wi-Fi.
We did everything to put the connection in difficulty, with a thread of malice to catch a stumble, intercept an indecision. We launched full resolution videos on YouTubeloaded complex software accessible via the cloud, started a video game competition. Or launched a live TV channel. Well, the images started almost immediately, they flowed without hesitationinterruptions, ginnings. Which means being able to follow the live broadcasts of your favorite tennis champion or your favorite football team even when you are in the clouds. And of course, obviously, stay constantly in touch with your loved ones. We’re not talking about text and voice messages or emojis, video calls work great. Maybe, well, they should be managed with moderation, with a moderate volume of the voice and wearing earphones, so as not to disturb the neighbors.
The litmus test: the speed test
All that remained was to translate the impressions into numbers, to bring out the nerdy side. Run a Speedtest. The result can be read below. In a moment of congestion, everything is very fluidwith 139 Mbps download and almost 30 upload. To clarify, it means being able to download over 17 megabytes of data in one second. Staying broad, a heavy photo in a quarter of a second, an entire high resolution film in less than three minutes. AND Qatar Airways promises peaks of 500 megabits per secondtherefore even greater yields and a connection that is never interrupted, as happens with the traditional one, for example when flying over some more remote points or with restrictions. In short, promotion with full marks.
What stage is the diffusion at?
Starlink is a candidate to be the next standard in onboard connectivity and its performance is the best explanation for its popularity among sky carriers. Offering it for free means guaranteeing entertainment opportunities and professional continuity for those who fly, exactly as happens with other means of mass transport. Actually, better. In the case of Qatar Airways, for example, after having equipped the entire fleet of its Airbus A350s already last December, in the record time of 8 months, after having installed it on the Boeing 777s, the focus is on the 787 Dreamliners.
«In 2025, Starlink has connected over 21 million passengers on airlines around the world” we read in a note. «Qatar Airways passengers connected to Starlink represent almost half of this totalwith over 10 million passengers who were the first in the world to benefit from the free service on board widebody aircraft on long-haul and very long-haul routes.” That’s the company with the greatest number of wide-body vehicles where you turbo surf in the clouds. Airplane mode has a completely different flavor.
