In preparation for launch of its Gogo Biz 4G air-to-ground connectivity service, Gogo finished the initial phase of flight testing last week using its Challenger 600 testbed. The new 4G service is scheduled to go live early next year and will deliver data speeds of up to 9.8 Mbps, more than three times as fast as the current Gogo Biz 3G service at up to 3.1 Mbps. 

During four hours of flight testing, Gogo engineers ran real-world scenarios, including multiple video and audio streaming sessions simultaneously on a variety of mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Altitude varied from 30,000 to 34,000 feet and range from the ground sites was tested at up to 150 miles, with flight in a rural area and a major metropolitan area (Chicago).

“Gogo Biz 4G will deliver a true 4G in-flight experience on a robust, reliable network that business aircraft operators can count on,” said John Wade, Gogo Business Aviation's executive vice president and general manager. “Flight-test performance has exceeded our expectations to date. Market interest is high and we remain on track for first shipments in early 2017.”

Operators that upgrade to Gogo Biz 4G will have to buy new hardware, but Gogo is offering incentives for upgrades. Customers can install current Gogo equipment now and upgrade that equipment to 4G when the new service becomes available early next year. Gogo plans to continue offering 3G service as well. 

Services available on Gogo Biz 4G include the ability to stream movies and audio from Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and so on, as well as email with attachments, web browsing, voice calls and VPN access. Gogo’s Text & Talk service will also work on the 4G system. The Gogo air-to-ground service area covers the continental U.S. and parts of Alaska and Canada.