At Gogo, We Never Stop Innovating
The world’s largest provider of broadband connectivity services for business aviation plans a 5G launch—and more.
Tell the story of your brand and how it has evolved over the years.
Gogo is the world’s largest provider of broadband connectivity services for the business-aviation market, offering a customizable suite of smart cabin systems for highly integrated connectivity, inflight entertainment, and voice solutions.
The company’s products and services are installed on thousands of business aircraft of all sizes and mission types, from turboprops to the largest global jets, and are utilized by the largest fractional ownership operators, charter operators, corporate flight departments, and individuals.
It all began back in 1991, long before anyone was worried about conducting a videoconference from their aircraft, or updating Facebook, or filing an expense report midair.
Back then, aviation enthusiast Jimmy Ray sketched out a plan to create an affordable telephone system for private planes on a paper napkin in a Texas barbecue joint. That sketch would soon turn into Aircell, the company that would eventually become Gogo Business Aviation.
Building a phone system for the skies was no easy task, and Aircell quietly and determinedly grew and developed for several years. By the early 2000s, the company was in full operation, offering air-to-ground (ATG) analog cellular service.
Photo image via Gogo Air
The most transformative moment in Aircell/Gogo’s history happened in 2006: The company won a Federal Communications Commission auction for 3 MHz of exclusive broadband spectrum to serve aviation. It was a pivotal moment for Aircell and enabled the company to launch a digital 3G network.
Aircell officially became Gogo in July 2011 and became a publicly traded company (on the NASDAQ) in 2013.
Gogo transformed inflight connectivity in 2017 with the launch of the AVANCE platform, which enables a host of capabilities never before seen in aviation, such as over-the-air software updates and the ability to customize the user experience to best serve the number and type of customers onboard.
Gogo offers the leading entertainment service for business aviation with Gogo Vision 360, featuring a 3D moving map, the latest movie and TV releases, 30 top digital magazines, and news clips from Bloomberg. And it’s offered in seven languages.
The company is currently undertaking its largest project yet—building the first 5G network dedicated to aviation, scheduled to launch in the second half of 2022.
What sets your brand apart from other brands offering the same type of services?
No other inflight connectivity provider serves the breadth of aircraft that Gogo can, from very small personal jets and turboprop aircraft to large heavy-iron global business jets. And soon Gogo will be launching 5G to serve business aviation.
Tell us some interesting facts about your brand that you’d like consumers to know about.
Gogo Business Aviation has been in business for nearly 30 years.
Gogo has 349 patents protecting its intellectual property.
There are more than 6,000 aircraft flying with a Gogo Business Aviation ATG system onboard.
Gogo 5G will be the fourth ATG network Gogo has built in the past 15 years. Gogo built the first nationwide cellular (analog) network and since then has built two digital networks—3G and 4G.
Describe the “why” of your brand.
Gogo enables business and private aviation clients to be more productive during flight by being connected to their lives on the ground—business, personal, and social media.
What problem is your company trying to solve?
Productivity and entertainment during flight, so passengers and crew can make the most of their time in the air.
Describe some notable successes your company has experienced over the years.
Gogo launched the first air-to-ground network to provide in-flight connectivity to business aircraft in the 1990s. It was an analog network. Gogo then built the first digital network to serve aviation and the technology has grown and evolved to provide faster speeds and greater capacity. Today, Gogo’s customers utilize inflight connectivity for video conferencing, email, voice and text services that benefit passengers and crew.
What else would you like a consumer or partner to know about your brand?
At Gogo, we never stop innovating. We build systems and networks that are designed to provide the best user experience today and well into the future.
Top image via Gogo Air.
