Fun fact: The first ever flight with onboard internet was Munich-Los Angeles Lufthansa flight in 2004.
Since those early days a lot has changed. YouTube was launched in 2005 and Netflix transitioned to the streaming service business model in 2007.

Nowadays passengers on planes, trains, buses and cruise ships are so used to the idea of having access to the internet onboard that they expect an internet connection that guarantees more than simple web browsing, messaging and emailing. Passengers want onboard Wi-Fi that is fast enough for video- and music-streaming.

 

Rising Passenger Expectation

This is supported by the findings of a 2022 study conducted by Volvo Buses. The study surveyed 9,000 passengers in 9 countries to better understand their demands and expectations from modern coach travel experience. As #1 in-demand onboard service respondents identified “Wi-Fi fast enough for video- and music-streaming”.

Similar trend can be observed in the air travel industry. 2023 Viasat survey of over 11,000 recent flyers from 10 countries found that over ½ of respondents are not content with merely having inflight internet connection ‘available’. They expect airlines to guarantee fast and reliable connection with 1 in 5 of all participants wanting to engage with their favorite streaming service after takeoff.

If we look at the cruise line industry we can witness a drive towards upgraded passenger Wi-Fi connectivity onboard. All major cruise line brands such as Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises have equipped their fleets with fast Starlink satellite connectivity and offer streaming packages to their passengers.
Passenger expectation for faster and more reliable internet connection onboard is undeniably growing. And frankly speaking, this is to be expected.

 

Faster and Cheaper Mobile Internet

We are spending more and more time online, GWI study estimated that as of 2023 we are spending 6 hours 41 minutes online (that’s over a quarter of our day) with more than half of this time (3 hours and 48 minutes) spent on mobile devices interacting with our favorite content.

Global internet speeds are increasing while mobile data costs are dropping further fuelling our desire to stay connected anywhere anytime. Speedtest Global Index by Ookla showed that global mobile internet download speed increased from 22.81Mbps in 2018 to 55.07Mbps in 2021. This equals to a 141% increase in just 3 years. With a more recent mainstream introduction of 5G the speed is only likely to climb.

At the same time cellular and satellite prices are dropping fast. For example, in Europe cellular roaming prices have dropped from 7,70€ in 2017 to 1,55€ in 2024. For high volume contracts the price is even lower. With the introduction of Starlink the satellite prices have also dropped significantly to around 1€ per GB.

Since passenger demand for Wi-Fi, which is fast enough for video and music streaming, is continuously growing while mobile internet is becoming faster and more affordable, carriers must review their passenger Wi-Fi offering every year, to keep up with the passenger expectations.

 

Better Quality Of Experience

Based on our 10+ years of experience in delivering fast and reliable connectivity to passengers around the globe and servicing over 4,000 vehicles we, at RebelRoam, believe that we have found the answer.
Since the goal is to enable carriers to take advantage of increasing mobile internet speed and decreasing cost per GB, thus providing their passengers with onboard internet that meets modern day connectivity needs the solution is made up of two key components.
Over the years we have tried and tested many hardware and software combinations to conclude that the secret lies in selecting the correct router and optimisation software combination.

• Dual modem routers – such dual modem mobility routers as Peplink Transit Duo Pro, BR2 Pro and Dome Pro Duo will enable passenger carriers to use up to 4 different mobile operator SIMs with 2 being active at any given moment. The router will dynamically switch between mobile operators selecting optimal combination of mobile connections, thus delivering gapless connectivity to passengers throughout the journey.
• RebelRocket video optimisation – coupling the router with RebelRoam in-house developed network optimisation software will enable more passengers to have a better connectivity experience, in general, and video streaming experience, in particular. This is achieved by reducing overall video quality stream from full HD (1080p) to standard definition (480p). This, in turn, will also assist in better managing carrier data spending and avoid network congestion.

To give you an example, RebelRoam conducted a comparison test during which four FlixBus bus partners with previously similar data consumption patterns and routes were chosen. RebelRocket was enabled on buses of Bus Partner 4 while 3 other bus partners acted as a control group.
The test results showed that passengers on the RebelRocket enabled buses consumed less data (an average of 43% data reduction per minute per passenger) and at the same time spent more time online (the average session time went up by over 30%) enabling passengers to do more with their free data allowance.

 

About RebelRoam

RebelRoam is a market leading passenger Wi-Fi optimisation company specialising in coach, cruise and rail verticals servicing a total of over 4,000 vehicles worldwide including Flixbus, Go-Ahead Group, The Travel Corporation, Uniworld, Grand Circle Cruises and many more.
Learn more about RebelRoam at www.rebelroam.com