Virgin Australia will begin testing in-flight Wi-Fi next month using Gogo 2Ku technology in partmership with Australian satellite provider Optus.
A three-month trial will start on a single Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a full installation of 2Ku across Virgin Australia’s fleet of Boeing and Airbus jets once the testing proves a success.
It is a live testing period and all passengers travelling on the jet will receive Wi-Fi free of charge throughout their flight.
Using high bandwidth 2Ku, passengers will be able to stream video and music on Netflix, Stan and Pandora on their devices, with complementary three months’ access to Pandora Plus and Netflix offered to all.
"We are confident that by working with Gogo and Optus Satellite and using their proven technology we can deliver the best possible and most reliable connectivity and entertainment experience in the air. Virgin Australia guests will soon be able to stay connected with their family, friends and colleagues on board while also enjoying the fantastic entertainment offered by Netflix, Stan and Pandora,’ said John Thomas, group executive of Virgin Australia.
"The new connectivity solution will complement Virgin Australia’s popular onboard wireless inflight entertainment system, which revolutionised domestic and Trans-Tasman inflight entertainment when it was introduced in 2013."
Virgin Australia said it will finalise a business model for the Wi-Fi service after analysing performance and customer feedback during the testing period.
