SpaceX's Starlink launches internet service for planes to finally fix crappy in-flight WiFi

• SpaceX plans to expand its satellite-internet service to airplanes.
• Starlink Aviation will be available next year for $12,500-$25,000 per month.

Speedier in-flight WiFi may finally be on the way.

Starlink, the satellite-internet service from SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket company, announced a new service for airplanes on Wednesday. Starlink Aviation promises to bring impressive speeds, up to 350 megabytes-per-second, to the skies starting in 2023. It will cost $12,500-$25,000 per month on top of an initial hardware fee of $150,000.

Starlink Aviation positions itself as a superior alternative to notoriously subpar in-flight internet. SpaceX says the service will enable passengers to do data-intensive activities that aren't possible with current in-flight WiFi like online gaming, streaming, and video calls.

Today planes get internet service from cell towers they fly over or from satellite-based services like Viasat. But current in-plane satellite internet isn't nearly as fast as Musk's service aims to be. Rather than using the same satellite dish as other Starlink customers, airplanes will be equipped with a special, low-profile terminal.

It's been a big year for Starlink as SpaceX has expanded services to new customers and inked deals with major partners.

Musk's firm launched a service for RVs in May, charging $135 per month for the ability to move one's terminal from place to place. This summer it introduced Starlink Maritime, a service for yachts and cruise ships. Cruise giant Royal Caribbean in August tapped Starlink to add internet service to its fleet.

In August, T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a deal to bring internet to mobile phones in dead zones across the US.