Technology: Elon Musk’s high speed internet facility will be available in these cruise ships from now on

Cruise ships are generally criticized for offering slow and expensive Wi-Fi to passengers. But now one cruise line is hoping to change that by bringing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet on board. Royal Caribbean, one of the world’s largest cruise operators, announced last week that it would deploy the SpaceX network to its entire fleet of passenger ships. It is the first cruise operator to have an Internet deal with Elon Musk’s rocket and spacecraft company. According to a statement, Royal Caribbean plans to begin installing Starlink infrastructure immediately and expects to complete the project by the spring of 2023.

The cruise company’s decision comes on the heels of a Starlink test on one of its largest ships, the Freedom of the Seas, which received “tremendous positive feedback from guests and crew,” according to the statement. In June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave SpaceX the green light to provide Starlink to moving vehicles, including semi-trucks, RVs, planes and freighters, paving the way for the company to offer in-cruise Wi-Fi Gone. Many cruise lines already use space-based Wi-Fi, but the satellites in those networks are located farther from Earth than SpaceX would. By placing its Starlink constellation in low-Earth orbit, SpaceX aims to deliver faster internet by reducing the distance that information must travel to reach the ground.

SpaceX has built an interconnected network of more than 2,500 satellites since May 2019. Its officials say they hope to chain 42,000 satellites and provide internet around the world. Starlink wants to rebuild the Internet in space,” Musk said when he announced plans for the new service in 2015. As of May, Starlink had 400,000 customers in 36 countries, with plans to expand.