Wifi on the go is often unreliable – on buses, trains and, increasingly, planes. Whether via cellular or satellite systems, connectivity at speed suffers from highly variable signal coverage and strength. This leads to delays, degraded data speeds and service interruptions.
To address these issues, the UK government has announced a major upgrade to wifi connections on hundreds of intercity trains.
They will use low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems such as Starlink (a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company) and OneWeb (part of the of French Eutelsat group). Operating much closer to Earth than traditional satellites, these systems can provide near-global coverage and higher-speed communications.
So, as LEO networks are rapidly adopted for air, rail, road and maritime transport, how will this change our experience of wifi on the move?
Trains
At present, train wifi largely depends on aggregating terrestrial 4G and 5G signals along each route, with the available bandwidth shared between passengers. As a result, wifi often degrades in rural areas, tunnels and other locations where signal coverage is limited.
Such challenges are even harder on high-speed trains operating at speeds of 150mph (250km/h) and more, with some services in China reaching 220mph.
One technical fix is dedicated trackside communication networks that use advanced technologies to deliver ultra-fast, low-lag connectivity even at such high speeds. But they are still constrained by limited coverage and significant installation costs.
In contrast, LEO satellite systems could offer near-global coverage without requiring costly deployment trackside infrastructure. Following successful trials on LNER, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway services in 2025, the UK government recently announced a £57 million, five-year rollout of LEO satellite connectivity across nationalised mainline rail services.
Up to 1,400 trains will receive satellite-enabled connectivity, with onboard wifi availability increasing from around half of UK train journeys up to 90% by the early 2030s.
Integrating LEO systems with existing terrestrial wifi networks should combine the strengths of both technologies. When one link becomes unavailable or degrades, alternative connections can seamlessly take over, reducing service interruptions and improving the reliability and quality of onboard wifi.
Planes
Since German airline Lufthansa introduced the first commercial in-flight internet service in January 2003, wifi on planes has expanded rapidly.
Today, approximately 70% of airlines worldwide offer onboard internet connectivity. Their wifi is provided either by air-to-ground or satellite communication systems.
Air-to-ground systems use an antenna mounted on the plane’s underside to connect to a network of land towers. While this approach ensures relatively low delays, coverage is limited to regions with terrestrial infrastructure so is unsuitable for most oceanic routes.
The preferred option for long-haul and transoceanic flights is using an antenna mounted on top of the aircraft to communicate with satellites. But maintaining reliable inflight connectivity remains challenging due to rapidly changing conditions and frequent satellite handovers at high speed (upwards of 500mph).
Climbs, descents and turbulence can all disrupt an antenna’s alignment with satellites. Continuous satellite tracking and antenna steering is needed to maintain accurate beam alignment throughout the flight.
In recent years, LEO satellite systems have accelerated midair wifi provision, in some cases delivering “superfast” inflight internet speeds exceeding 100 megabits per second. With signals travelling up to 3,000 miles, though, transmission delays are still unavoidable.
As technologies such as electronically steered antennas and AI-driven network management mature and satellite capacity continues to expand, onboard wifi should become comparable to terrestrial broadband for most passengers. This will enable in-flight video streaming and cloud-based services with minimal disruption.
Buses
Many long-distance coaches use roof-mounted antennas with onboard routers to share a cellular connection among their passengers. Wifi performance thus depends heavily on mobile network coverage and capacity, and can degrade in rural areas, tunnels, or simply when the coach is full.
Connectivity has been enhanced with the transition from 4G to 5G networks. However, since coach and bus wifi relies on a shared cellular connection, passengers often have a better experience using their own mobile connectivity.
This means wifi provision on local bus services has slowed in recent years. In 2025, 13% of buses in England offered free wifi, down from a peak of 32% in 2020.
On rural and long-distance routes, where mobile coverage is limited or unavailable, reliable wifi can be essential not only for passengers but for operational services such as ticketing and CCTV.
With LEO satellite networks emerging as a promising solution, several UK bus and coach initiatives – including trials by Transport for Wales from 2024 – are exploring hybrid 5G-satellite systems. These can seamlessly switch between cellular and satellite links to reduce coverage blackspots and provide more consistent connectivity along rural routes.
Ferries
Ferries and cruise ships operating more than a few tens of kilometres from land rely on satellite communications. These have evolved from low-bandwidth systems used primarily for safety, navigation and crew communications in the 1980s and ’90s, to broadband passenger wifi services supported by geostationary satellites orbiting around 22,000 miles above the Earth.
Maintaining stable satellite communication at sea is particularly challenging. Ships roll, pitch and yaw because of the waves and wind. This can misalign satellite antennas, leading to performance degradation and temporary communication interruptions.
Harsh maritime conditions including salt corrosion, high humidity and heavy rainfall can also damage electronic devices, reducing the strength of high-frequency satellite signals.
Furthermore, the ship’s large steel structure can cause signal degradation and coverage dead zones. This makes onboard wifi provision especially difficult on large cruise ships with multiple decks, thick walls and narrow corridors.
LEO satellite technology has, however, significantly improved wifi provision at sea. As of 2025, more than 25,000 commercial and passenger vessels worldwide were using LEO satellite broadband services, primarily through Starlink.
And as with other modes of transport, this rate of adoption is projected to continue increasing rapidly. The prospect of seamless wifi coverage, whichever way you travel, should soon be a reality.
