aNewDomain.net — The Gogo in-flight Internet connectivity service is expanding with the creation of its new 9.6Mbps ATG-4 in-flight service and, soon, a hybrid terrestrial and satellite network that will be able to deliver 60Mbps to planes. Check out my video interview below with Gogo reps about how both ATG-4 and the hybrid Gogo services work.
Scroll below the video to find out more on the Gogo exclusive air-to-ground (ATG) wireless broadband Internet in-flight connectivity service.
Video: Alfred Poor for aNewDomain/shooter Al Green and exec producer Justin Webb for aNewDomainTV
The Gogo exclusive air-to-ground (ATG) wireless broadband Internet service works much like the 3G and 4G systems that we use on our smartphones. But it instead uses towers that look up to the sky.
Gogo installs towers as needed to cover major flight routes for the airlines. And the newly expanded ATG-4 service delivers up to 9.8 Mbps to the plane, which then is shared by the users onboard.
The result, execs claim, is a much better quality of service compared to in-flight satellite only services.
And Gogo ATG-4 has a leg up. Its baseline equipment is already installed in more than 2,000 commercial aircraft as well as another 6,500 private business jets, reps told me. New pricing plans for Gogo ATG and Gogo ATG-4 are interesting, too, as you can see in my video above.
In particular, Gogo ATG will use pricing to meter demand on flights, so that customers get a high quality experience.
The Gogo ATG-4 service, improved as it is, still won’t offer sufficient bandwidth to bring every airline passenger a quality connection. So it now is adjusting prices so only an acceptable number of users will take advantage of it on any given flight. For hardcore, gotta-have-it in-flight Internet customers, that’s sure to make a difference.
And the company is trying to make the Gogo ATG and Gogo ATG-4 services more affordable generally. It offers a variety of pricing plans customers are able to choose from. For more details on the pricing and other specs, check out the gogoair.com website.
For aNewDomain.net, I’m Alfred Poor.
Art credit for flight image above and on home page: Wikimedia Commons
Based in bucolic Bucks County PA, Alfred Poor is a senior technologist here at aNewDomain.net. A 30-year tech journalism vet, he’s internationally renowned for his coverage of displays. He is easily distracted by shiny, sparkly gadgets and that’s why he is covering consumer tech for us, too. Contact Alfred at Alfred@aNewDomain.net, follow him @AlfredPoor and find the +Alfred Poor Google+ stream here. Alfred also is a professional speaker, a bluegrass musician and a sailor. Check out his LinkedIn profile for more.
