By Brent Bundy | March 25, 2024 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 14 seconds.
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo showed off two new products that will be coming to market soon.
Director of communications and creative services Dave Mellin spoke with Skies to review the upcoming offerings.
“We are showing two new antennas, the HDX and the FDX, both of which are part of the Avance program and will drastically increase the network access speeds over the already amazing systems we offer.”
Designed for larger frame aircraft, the FDX is a full duplex antenna that Mellin states, “Will provide a more robust user experience.”
The HDX has a smaller footprint and is configured for smaller models including light and very light jets and turboprops.
Both examples are solid-state designs with no moving internal parts.
“These antennas work with low-Earth orbit satellites, of which there are hundreds in existence. Our antennas are capable of switching satellites every seven to 10 seconds. This is in contrast to a traditional geostationary dish that would have a great deal of difficulty, or not be able to, alternate satellites at this speed,” Mellin explained.
Also part of the system are two smaller antennas, mounted on the belly of the aircraft that allow for 5G air-to-ground transmissions, through the ready-to-go network that will be operational by the end of the year.
Millen added, “Avance includes Gogo Vision inflight entertainment which offers approximately 200 Hollywood movie releases, news clips, and more.”
In the past 12 months, Gogo has seen 900,000 flights added to the already impressive 1.5 million on record from the current 4,000 systems installed worldwide. Mellin attributes much of this increased growth to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During that time, many owners and operators saw their aircraft as their home office. This drove up demand that has not decreased since we came out of the pandemic.”
He also credits customer demand and Gogo’s vision for offering the best, fastest service for their customers. Current network speeds are in the 5Mbps range but once the new 5G network and Galileo systems go online, the HDX will see up to 60 Mbps with the FDX coming in at an impressive 190 Mbps. This vision of advancement has also pushed the newly adapted over-the-air system updates, a boon for fleet operators.
The HDX is in testing now, with an expected rollout by the end of the year and the FDX is in development for an anticipated delivery in 2025.
Both systems will be available for viewing in the upcoming Gogo Bombardier Challenger 300 which will be used for global customer demonstrations.
