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Gogo Receives FCC Regulatory Approval for its 2Ku In-flight Connectivity Technology

Jan. 15, 2015

 GOGO has received regulatory approval from the FCC to operate its next generation in-flight connectivity technology – 2Ku.  The FCC approval clears a major hurdle in the path to launching the new service.  The approval is a blanket approval from the FCC for Gogo to operate its 2Ku system on 1,000 aircraft.

"Clearing the necessary regulatory hurdles to provide this service to an aircraft flying anywhere around the globe is no small feat.  Gogo has proven it is a leader at navigating these environments for all aircraft types no matter where they fly," said Michael Small, Gogo's president and CEO.   "We are happy that the launch of 2Ku is proceeding as planned and are continuing to work with the FAA on approval for installation."

Gogo expects the new 2Ku technology will outperform other global connectivity solutions currently available in the market.  The new antenna technology is expected to deliver peak speeds to the aircraft of more than 70 Mbps.

The advantages of 2Ku are significant.  The antenna is more spectrally efficient which means it will produce more bandwidth at less cost than competitive solutions.  2Ku's performance benefits will be even more dramatic in tropical regions where other satellite solutions degrade significantly due to restrictions associated with operating at high skew angles. The antenna itself is only 4.5 inches tall and the low profile produces very little incremental drag on the aircraft.

The 2Ku antenna and its increased spectral efficiency are compatible with today's Ku satellites and future Ku satellites, including future spot beam satellites.  When future satellite technologies become available, Gogo expects peak speeds for the service in excess of 100 Mbps.  Because the antenna can be used with any Ku-satellite, it also avoids the single point of failure that comes with reliance on a single satellite for connectivity in a given region, and offers airlines much desired redundancy and reliability.

Gogo expects the new service to be available for the commercial aviation market in the second half of 2015.