GoGo Earns Broadband Approval from FCC
GoGo Inflight just got a boost into the internet future when they received FCC approval to use their new 2Ku satellite on a thousand aircraft. GoGo hopes to have this installed in the second half of 2015.
This new technology offers impressive bandwidth speeds of up to 70Mbps. By comparison, their present air-to-ground speed is a lowly 3.1Mbps but their newer ATG-4 offers 9.8Mbps, often considered a minimum for internet video.
The first airlines onboard with the new technology include United, JAL, and Air Canada. The article notes that GoGo also has commitments from Aeromexico and Virgin Atlantic.
Last night I flew Virgin from Boston to L.A. and they wanted $36 for internet access for the duration of the flight. That’s absurd, for crappy internet service. I remember when the price was half that. Needless to say, I didn’t buy it.