Gogo Tests New 2Ku Modem Upgrades

By Staff Writer | February 23, 2017
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Jimmy Ray is Gogo's airborne test lab. Photo courtesy of Gogo

Jimmy Ray is Gogo’s airborne test lab. Photo courtesy of Gogo

Gogo’s 2Ku has exceeded speeds of 100 Mbps, the company says, due to new modem upgrades. The capability was tested on Gogo’s test aircraft, the Jimmy Ray, using the company’s proprietary 2Ku antenna, a next-generation modem and a high-throughput satellite.

Both Gogo’s 2Ku and Ku benefit from the modem upgrades. And the modem also supports access to streaming video through the internet and live television programming through Gogo TV.

“When we launched 2Ku, we knew that the performance would get better with our next-generation modem and new high-throughput satellites,” says Anand Chari, Gogo’s chief technology officer. “We have capacity on [high-throughput] satellites in orbit today and 2Ku’s open architecture allows us to take advantage of satellite innovations over time. We also continue to improve our aircraft hardware: servers, modems, antenna and wireless access points. This performance achievement demonstrates the progress we’ve made on both fronts.”

Gogo says the new modem is planned for installation on more than 1,500 2Ku and 250 Ku aircraft across 13 airlines. The installation process is planned to kick off in the second half of this year.

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