Viasat · GEO Ka-band Satellite
Viasat Ka-band
Viasat's Ka-band geostationary network powers free WiFi on JetBlue, Delta domestic, and parts of American Airlines. Plenty of speed for streaming and browsing, with the latency penalty inherent to any GEO satellite.
Which airlines have Viasat Ka-band?
3 airlines with confirmed installations. Coverage = aircraft with Viasat Ka-band ÷ total tracked fleet.
United Airlines
634 of 1,580 tails 40%
have Viasat Ka-band
Delta Air Lines
539 of 1,104 tails 49%
have Viasat Ka-band
JetBlue Airways
275 of 275 tails 100%
have Viasat Ka-band
JetBlue pioneered free fleet-wide WiFi with Fly-Fi in 2017. Delta added free Viasat-backed WiFi across its mainline domestic narrowbodies (737, A220, A319, A320, A321) in February 2023 through the Delta + T-Mobile partnership. United is retrofitting newer narrowbodies with Viasat. American uses it on its newer A321neos. Outside the US, Viasat powers WiFi on Qantas, China Eastern, El Al, and others. Viasat acquired Inmarsat in 2023, so the Inmarsat GX Aviation network is now part of the same company, though the two services still run on separate hardware.
Strengths
- Free fleet-wide on JetBlue since 2017
- Free on Delta mainline domestic via the T-Mobile partnership
- Reliable 50-100 Mbps speeds
- Mature, well-deployed across hundreds of US aircraft
Drawbacks
- Latency around 600ms means choppy video calls
- Slows down on packed flights as bandwidth gets shared
- Some coverage gaps on polar routes
- Being replaced by Starlink on premium international carriers
How fast is Viasat Ka-band in flight?
Around 80 Mbps download, latency about 600ms. HD Netflix streams fine, web browsing is snappy, most cloud apps behave normally. Video calls are the rough spot. FaceTime stutters and Zoom video is choppy because of the geostationary round-trip. Speeds drop 30-50% on packed flights as more passengers connect. The newer ViaSat-3 satellites have substantially more capacity, so aircraft on that network feel better than legacy Viasat-1 installs.
Is Viasat Ka-band free?
Free for everyone on JetBlue. No signup, no loyalty tier. Free on Delta mainline domestic with a free SkyMiles login. Free for T-Mobile customers on most US Viasat installs via the carrier partnership. Paid (~$8-25 per flight) on some American Viasat-equipped aircraft and international carriers.
Viasat Ka-band FAQ
Which airlines have Viasat WiFi?
JetBlue (entire fleet), Delta (mainline domestic narrowbodies), United (newer 737 MAX and A321neo), American (newer A321neos), Qantas, El Al, China Eastern, and others. JetBlue and Delta are the largest US Viasat deployments.
Is JetBlue Fly-Fi free?
Yes, completely free, no signup needed. Gate-to-gate on every JetBlue plane since 2017. The first US airline to make WiFi free fleet-wide, and still the most generous offer.
Is Delta WiFi free?
Free on mainline domestic 737, A220, A319, A320, and A321 since February 2023. You just need a free SkyMiles login. The international widebodies (767, A330, A350) still run paid Gogo 2Ku, though those are scheduled for upgrade.
How fast is Viasat in-flight WiFi?
Around 80 Mbps download in normal conditions, with newer ViaSat-3 installs running faster. Latency is about 600ms because the satellites are geostationary. Streaming and browsing are great. Real-time video calls are not.
Viasat vs Starlink, which is better?
Starlink wins on speed and latency. It's the only system that handles smooth video calls. Viasat wins on availability: it's free on more US flights right now. For streaming and browsing the difference barely shows. For Zoom or FaceTime, Starlink is the clear pick.
Can I make Zoom or FaceTime calls on Viasat WiFi?
Voice calls are usable. Video calls work but lag and freeze every few seconds. The 600ms round-trip is the bottleneck. If video calls matter, look for Starlink-equipped flights.
Does Viasat WiFi work over oceans?
Yes for most ocean routes. ViaSat-3 covers the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean transit routes. A few polar gaps remain.
Why does Viasat slow down on busy flights?
Every Viasat aircraft shares a fixed satellite beam. On packed flights with lots of active devices, the available bandwidth gets divided more thinly. Newer ViaSat-3 aircraft have far more capacity per beam, which helps a lot. Older Viasat-1 aircraft feel it most.
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