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Southwest Airlines will quickly provide vacationers free Wi-Fi on sure flights beginning this week, a part of a check to deliver sooner web to extra clients.
The service has outfitted 40 of its Boeing 737s with upgraded {hardware} for its Wi-Fi service, in keeping with a memo to staff despatched Tuesday. Southwest’s Wi-Fi upgrades are the most recent effort by an airline to enhance connectivity on board.
Hawaiian Airlines final week mentioned it plans to supply free Wi-Fi as early as subsequent yr through SpaceX’s Starlink service, which it hopes will deliver quick web to passengers on lengthy journeys over the Pacific Ocean. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has repeatedly mentioned the airline plans to supply free web connection. The service trialed the complimentary entry earlier than the pandemic.
The free Wi-Fi on Southwest will probably be accessible from May 4 via June 10 on sure flights within the western U.S., Tony Roach, vp of buyer expertise and buyer relations, wrote within the memo to employees.
The airline at the moment presents Wi-Fi for $8 per day and says on its web site that it blocks entry to some high-bandwidth websites comparable to Netflix, HBO Max and Zoom.
“This trial will allow Customers to stream, browse, and engage on the internet at no cost just like other complimentary services,” Roach wrote. “Our goal is to evaluate how the new hardware improves performance while delivering a reliable internet experience used by a large volume of Customers.”
Southwest declined to offer extra element.
Correction: Southwest at the moment presents Wi-Fi for $8 per day. A earlier model misrepresented the providing.
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