- General
- May 30, 2019
- 5 minutes read
Gogo Plans 5G Networks For Planes By 2021
Gogo CEO Oakleigh B. Thorne image: Gogo Chicago headquartered in-flight internet provider Gogo has announced plans to set up 5G networks…
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| Gogo CEO Oakleigh B. Thorne
image: Gogo
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Chicago headquartered in-flight internet provider Gogo has announced plans to set up 5G networks for planes flying to and fro the U.S. and Canada by 2021. The company will focus its use on commercial regional jets, business jets, and smaller mainline jets. The company says it’ll set up the 5G network on its current infrastructure of more than 250 towers and will use unlicensed spectrum in the 2.4GHz range, paired with advanced beamforming technology.
Gogo says the 5G infrastructure will support all spectrum types (shared, licensed and unlicensed) and bands (low, mid and high). The company will still maintain its mainstream 3G and 4G networks across the U.S. and Canada, that’ll also act as “backup to the 5G network when needed.”
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| Gogo antennas installed on a plane
image: Gogo
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Gogo also says it’s “committed to provide easy upgrade paths to 5G” for existing customers. 5G networks are currently being tested in the U.S. in anticipation for a future launch. But the tech still has several hiccups (see the previous link) in regards to downloads, coverage and battery life.
Nevertheless, companies have been putting effort into this space. LG debuted its first 5G-enabled smartphone earlier this year, Samsung recently kicked off mass production of 5G chipsets, Ford is working on 5G-based communication between its vehicles by 2022. But the 5G smartphone modem scene recently lost one noteworthy name, as Intel opted out of the market, but the company will still continue to invest in its 5G network infrastructure business.
