( CNN ) -- When United recently announced that it would install inflight Internet on all its mainline aircraft beginning next year , it might not have seemed like a big deal . After all , airlines have had Internet on board for a couple of years now and it has become quite common . This , however , is different . This is the first effort by a U.S. airline to provide Internet on intercontinental flights . You might recognize AirTran , Alaska , American , Delta and Virgin America as airlines that have been aggressively installing Internet aboard their aircraft over the last few years . Those airlines , however , are constrained by geography because of the system they use . All those carriers contract with Gogo to be their Internet provider , and Gogo transmits its signals from the ground : It has stations all over the United States that allow aircraft to connect to the Internet . But these are n't installed in the water , so fairly soon after you go `` feet wet '' on your flight , the Internet stops working . Airlines like this system because it 's easy to install ( it can be done overnight on an airplane ) , the system is relatively inexpensive and the bandwidth is cheap . That makes for a winning combination , but it does have constraints . That 's why United is going a different route . United is installing satellite-based Internet on its airplanes . As long as the aircraft is in range of the satellite , then Internet can flow freely . United is far from the first airline to do this . In fact , Southwest has been installing satellite Internet for a while now as well , but there is one big issue . The problem with satellite-based Internet in general is that it 's more expensive . You would expect that to be the case -- satellites do n't come cheap . There are also considerations about the amount of weight added to the aircraft from the antenna , the cost and the amount of time it takes to do an install ( longer than the overnight required by Gogo ) . Boeing 's luxury offices in the sky . Airlines have been hesitant to sink a lot of money into something that , so far , has n't seen much usage . Though reports are spotty , most airlines have hinted at single-digit percentage usage on aircraft . Some see more , like Virgin America and its more tech-savvy demographic , but in general , it 's not a lot . United , however , is making a bet that it will catch on in greater numbers and it will be an important amenity . How much will it cost you , the traveler ? We do n't know , because United has n't said anything . But we can look at its partner airline Lufthansa to get an idea of how other long-haul airlines are pricing the same system . When you fly Lufthansa today , you can pay â‚¬10.95 for one hour ( about $ 15 ) or â‚¬19.95 for 24 hours ( about $ 27 ) . United will certainly come up with its own pricing , but this gives you a sense of what you 're looking at . Five extraordinary airport lounges . Now that United has made the move , we have to wait and see if others will follow . A Delta spokesperson says the airline is `` reviewing international connectivity options for our customers but ( we ) do n't have further details at this time . '' It might not actually be United 's move that pushes others to offer long-haul Internet but rather technological advances . Last month , a new satellite was launched into space , and it will provide faster , cheaper Internet . ( It uses a different technology than the service United has signed up with for its long-haul flights ) . JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV has been offering this option , and JetBlue itself will begin installing it on its fleet next year . Will Delta and American eventually fall in line and put Internet on their long haul fleets ? I would imagine so , but when it happens and with what technology still remains to be seen .
United to become first U.S. airline to provide Internet on intercontinental flights . Wi-Fi is already available on many domestic flights but is constrained by geography . United is installing satellite-based Internet on its planes , a more expensive option .