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?

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........

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