[Avionics Today 03-01-2016] Gogo will upgrade its satellite modem for use with its next generation 2Ku and Ku satellite technologies. The modem will begin flight testing on Gogo’s Boeing 737 test lab aircraft, known as the Jimmy Ray, in the coming months, with the company anticipating commercial delivery to begin in 2017.
According to Gogo, the new modem will be capable of delivering 400 Mbps to an aircraft to support the anticipated capacity of next generation High-Throughput Satellites (HTS). The modem will also have the capability to simultaneously supporting IP streaming and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
"Just like your home or office Wi-Fi set-up, you can make improvements to the amount of bandwidth delivered, but if the modem can’t support that bandwidth, you can create a choke point in the network," said Anand Chari, Gogo’s chief technology officer, noting that the new modem also seeks to enable an open architecture to take advantage of new satellite technologies as they come online, such as High Throughput Satellite (HTS) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations.
Gogo partnered with Gilat Satellite Networks for the development of the new modem. The IFC company has begun the licensing approval process for the new modem through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the FAA.