Southwest to boost its Wi-Fi service

Southwest Airlines, the nation’s largest domestic carrier, has good news for fliers who want to stay connected: The Dallas-based airline plans to offer Wi-Fi service on all of its planes by the end of next year.

Even better: The connectivity speeds are expected to increase by at least three times the current speed for all passengers.

For the last six years, Southwest has had a contract with a Los Angeles company, Global Eagle Entertainment, to provide satellite-based internet on nearly 90% of its fleet of about 720 planes.

But Southwest representatives say the demand for faster Wi-Fi speeds on more planes has prompted the airline to add a second provider, Panasonic Avionics Corp., which is based in Lake Forest, Calif.

“Where our product is today is not good enough,” Southwest spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said.

The expansion of onboard Wi-Fi on more planes coincides with Southwest’s plans to replace older Boeing 737-300 planes that lack internet equipment with new Boeing 737 MAX planes.

The price to connect to the Wi-Fi is not expected to rise from $8 a day, per device, and live television will remain free.

Virgin America leads U.S.-based airlines in the percentage of planes with Wi-Fi service, followed by Delta, Southwest, United and American, according to a survey by RouteHappy, a company that tracks onboard amenities.