CEO of Freedom Cloud on why in-flight internet is becoming the new standard and what it means for Kazakhstan

Temirlan Zinalabdin, city — Astana, CEO of Freedom Cloud, expert in cloud technologies, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence

Just 10 years ago, having Wi-Fi in a hotel was considered a competitive advantage. Today, we view it as a basic service and would be more surprised if we couldn't connect to the network.

A similar transformation is about to happen in aviation in the coming years.

Currently, in-flight internet is primarily perceived as an additional service: the ability to reply to a message, check email, or watch a movie. However, the changes occurring today are much deeper. This is not just about passenger comfort, but about connecting aviation to modern digital infrastructure.

An airplane remains one of the last spaces where a person is practically cut off from their usual information environment for several hours. We download documents and movies in advance, reschedule online meetings, and warn colleagues that we will be unavailable. For a generation accustomed to working from anywhere in the world, this model seems increasingly archaic.

Technically, providing internet in the air was possible earlier. However, for a long time, the economic model did not add up.

Traditional satellite communication was built mainly on geostationary satellites located approximately 36,000 kilometers above the Earth. The signal had to cover a huge distance, resulting in high latency and limited bandwidth. Internet access was suitable for sending messages or emails, but mass video streaming and full-fledged work with cloud platforms remained problematic.

Moreover, airlines had to install expensive equipment, certify it for specific aircraft types, take planes out of service during installation, and pay for satellite traffic. As a result, in-flight internet often turned out to be slow, paid for, and unstable. Passengers did not want to pay for a service of questionable quality, while carriers did not see sufficient grounds for large-scale investments.

What Low-Earth Orbit Satellites Changed

The turning point came with the development of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. These satellites are located much closer to the Earth's surface than traditional geostationary satellites. Due to the shorter distance, latency is reduced, data transmission speeds increase, and more uniform coverage of routes becomes possible, including flights over oceans and sparsely populated areas.

For the passenger, the entire system looks quite simple. A special antenna is installed on the aircraft, which maintains communication with the satellites. The received channel is distributed throughout the cabin via a standard Wi-Fi network.

However, behind this familiar connection lies complex infrastructure: a satellite constellation, ground stations, traffic routing systems, onboard equipment, software, certification, and continuous network management.

The main change is that connection quality is now approaching what people expect to receive on the ground.

Qatar Airways completed the installation of Starlink on its Boeing 777 fleet, then expanded the system to Airbus A350s and began equipping Boeing 787s. The company claims speeds of up to 500 Mbps per aircraft and provides free access to passengers. By the beginning of 2026, the carrier had about 120 wide-body aircraft equipped with Starlink.

United Airlines is also accelerating the implementation of Starlink. The carrier started with its regional fleet, then moved to mainline aircraft and intends to provide fast internet to its entire fleet. For MileagePlus loyalty program members, access is stated as free.

Here, the choice of technology is not the only important factor. The business model is equally crucial.

Airlines are gradually moving away from the approach of offering passengers the option to buy separate megabyte packages. Internet is beginning to be viewed as part of the overall product—alongside comfortable seats, meals, entertainment systems, and loyalty programs.

When one airline provides stable and free access, others are forced to revise their own standards. Thus, a technological advantage gradually turns into an industry norm.

Internet Is Needed Not Only by Passengers

When we talk about connectivity on an airplane, the first image that usually comes to mind is a passenger watching a series or replying to messages. This is the most obvious, but far from the only scenario.

Stable connectivity changes the very logic of customer service.

An airline can inform passengers in real-time about their next flight, gate changes, transfer times, or baggage status. If a plane arrives with a delay, the passenger can receive an updated itinerary and possible options for rebooking even before boarding.

Internet also opens up additional commercial opportunities. Carriers can offer upgrades, meals, transfers, hotel bookings, or other services during the flight. When implemented properly, this is not intrusive advertising, but a continuation of customer service.

But an even more significant part of digitalization remains invisible to the passenger.

A modern airplane is a complex computing system that generates large volumes of technical data during each flight. These data relate to engine operation, onboard equipment, fuel consumption, and the condition of individual components.

The faster this information is transmitted to ground services, the sooner specialists can identify deviations, prepare necessary parts, and plan maintenance. This potentially reduces downtime, improves maintenance accuracy, and makes fleet operations more predictable.

Of course, passenger internet and critical aircraft systems must be strictly separated. Connecting new objects to the network always increases requirements for information security architecture. Therefore, implementing onboard connectivity is not just buying an antenna and a router. It is a comprehensive project involving data protection, network segmentation, access control, monitoring, and incident response.

Kazakhstan Joins the New Market

For Kazakhstan, this topic has acquired a practical dimension. During an expanded meeting of the Government with the participation of the President, plans were announced to begin implementing satellite internet on the aircraft of domestic airlines. In February 2026, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Development and Artificial Intelligence Zhaslan Madiev confirmed that internet access should also become available on board Kazakhstani carriers.

In March, Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastaev reported that implementation could begin by the end of 2026. The new Boeing 787 Dreamliners were named as the first aircraft to be equipped with the corresponding infrastructure.

Additionally, relevant state bodies are already discussing technical, organizational, and legal issues of connecting aircraft to satellite communication systems with market participants. Topics under consideration include regulation of the service, international experience, and further coordination of the project.

This is an important signal. However, there is a significant gap between a political decision and a high-quality working service.

It is necessary to determine which technology will be used, who will act as the service operator, how stable the connection will work on domestic and international routes, where traffic will be routed and processed, and what requirements will be imposed on information protection.

A Separate Issue – Economics

Installing equipment on a new aircraft is significantly easier than retrofitting an already operating plane. During modernization, it is necessary to consider the aircraft's design, aerodynamics, equipment weight, power consumption, and certification requirements. The aircraft also has to be temporarily removed from the schedule.

Therefore, a phased approach looks most rational: first, implementing the technology on new long-haul aircraft, where flight duration makes internet particularly in demand, and then gradually expanding to other types of aircraft.

At the same time, one should not assume that internet is needed only on flights lasting 7–10 hours.

For Kazakhstan, with its vast territory, even domestic flights often take several hours. Connections between Astana, Almaty, Aktau, Atyrau, Shymkent, and other cities handle significant business traffic. The ability to continue working en route can become a tangible value for passengers.

What the Model Should Be

Airlines have several options for monetization.

Access can be sold separately, with different tariffs for messaging, work, and video content. It can be included in the cost of a business class ticket or provided to loyalty program participants. An advertising model is also possible, where a partner covers part of the costs.

However, international practice shows that the market is gradually moving toward free basic access. The reason is simple: internet affects not only direct revenue but also passenger choice, loyalty, brand perception, and the airline's competitiveness. If a person can spend several hours of flight without dropping out of work processes, this becomes a real advantage, especially on routes with a high share of business trips.

In my opinion, it is important for Kazakhstani carriers to focus immediately not on the formal presence of Wi-Fi, but on the quality of the service. Passengers do not care which satellite system is used or how much equipment is installed on the fuselage. What matters to them is whether they can connect stably, send a file, open a cloud platform, or make a call.

Bad internet can do more damage to reputation than its absence. After announcing the service, passenger expectations rise quickly. Therefore, before a large-scale launch, it is necessary to ensure sufficient bandwidth, connection stability, and clear usage rules.

A New Standard of Mobility

Aviation has historically reduced physical distances between countries and cities. Now it is tasked with eliminating another gap—the digital one. In-flight internet will not change the speed of the aircraft or reduce flight duration. But it will change the perception of time in transit. Several hours of flight will no longer be a lost interval between two points.

For business, this means continuity of processes. For the passenger, it means freedom of choice between work, communication, and entertainment. For the airline, it means new services, data, and the ability to manage customer experience more accurately. For the state, it is another element of modern transport and digital infrastructure.

In a few years, the question will no longer sound like: "Is there internet on board?" Passengers will ask how fast it is, whether it is included in the ticket price, and why a specific airline still cannot provide it.

Once, flight mode meant mandatory disconnection from the network. Today, it is gradually turning into merely an indication of where the user is located—at an altitude of 10,000 meters.