The FAA has awarded an STC for the Gogo Biz 4G connectivity system, which is targeted specifically at the business aviation sector. Gogo used a Bombardier Challenger for certification testing. “We continue to remain on schedule with our system development, hitting every major milestone we committed to when we announced the service,” said Mike Syverson, senior vice president of technology and operations for Gogo.
The solution uses Gogo’s existing ground network – including more than 250 towers. Both new and existing ATG customers can upgrade. Dealers committed to obtaining STCs include Duncan Aviation, Constant Aviation, Western Aircraft and Silverhawk Aviation.
Dual-band 802.11ac wi-fi service and various other features will be offered from a single box. In fact, the offering includes Gogo Vision movies and TV shows; a flight tracker; real-time weather; Gogo Text & Talk, whereby passengers can call and text using their own smartphones and numbers; streaming video and audio; live face-to-face conversations; email service with attachments; and web browsing. The company says the network covers continental USA and large portions of Alaska and Canada.
The 4G solution also provides an upgrade path to Gogo’s Next Gen network, which is scheduled to launch in 2018, offering speeds up to 100Mbps. The Next Gen network will use a proprietary modem, a new beam-forming antenna and unlicensed spectrum, using LTE technology and Gogo’s existing North American network and infrastructure.
March 13, 2017
