Gogo Business Aviation activated the 75th site on its nationwide 5G network, marking the halfway point in the construction of its air-to-ground infrastructure. The company said it remains on budget and on schedule to launch in the second half of 2022.
Gogo 5G is expected to deliver ~25 Mbps on average with peak speeds in the 75-80 Mbps range with coverage over the entire continental United States. The service is designed to deliver high throughput with very low latency. It will use both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. The base station communicates with aircraft passing overhead using 16-antenna digital port beamforming antennas using massive MIMO technology.
Gogo says its AVANCE platform, with its multi-bearer capability and software-centric design, allows customers to future-proof their inflight connectivity investments, with upgrade paths to both Gogo 5G and to Gogo’s global Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-based product in the future.
Gogo is working with Duncan Aviation to complete the first-article Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the onboard 5G system hardware along with STCs that will cover more than 30 aircraft models. Additional STCs are being developed by several other Gogo authorized dealers, and at the factory by business aviation aircraft manufacturers.
“Getting to the 50% mark for our 150-tower 5G nationwide network in a matter of months is an incredible accomplishment by our team,” said Mike Rupert, vice president of network operations for Gogo Business Aviation. “We have a team of network experts that has been working hard to bring the 5G network to life, building sites across the country, and that work will continue into the fall.”
“We’ve been testing our network and we’re pleased with the results we’re seeing,” said Dave Glenn, senior vice president of customer operations. “Gogo 5G is going to deliver on everything we’ve promised to the market.”