Fast in-flight Wi-Fi coming to Europe

Fast in-flight Wi-Fi is set to come to Europe by the end of 2016.

The London-based satellite services operator Inmarsat (IMASF) announced plans on Thursday for a 4G in-flight broadband service that will provide fliers across Europe with fast internet connections on their smartphones, tablets and laptops.

The service is slated to launch roughly a year afterAT&T (T, Tech30) is expected to introduce a similar offering in the U.S.

Current in-flight broadband services, such as Gogo (GOGO) Inflight Internet, use slower 3G speeds and are inconsistent at best for anything more than basic email.

British Airways is in discussions with Inmarsat about using the new 4G service. The airline does not currently offer Wi-Fi on its flights in Europe because of slow speeds and low consumer demand.

A British Airways spokesperson told CNNMoney that demand for in-flight Internet access should be much stronger once 4G speeds become available.

This will give "our customers the internet access they expect on the ground while in the air," said Kate Thornton, head of product and service at British Airways.