In-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo recently installed its 2,000th system in a commercial aircraft and launched a new product for business aviation.
Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO, called the news “an important milestone.”
Gogo went public in June and got off to a rocky start, but several pieces of recent news sent the stock to an all-time high above $19. Gogo’s stock was trading around $17.25 midday Wednesday.
Of the 2,000 aircraft that now have Gogo’s in-flight Internet service, more than 300 now have its fastest ATG-4 service, which the company said provides peak bandwidth that is more than three times its original service. More than 500 planes are expected to have ATG-4 by the end of the year.
The company showed success in gaining partners on its Internet service with the announcement in late September, that it was working with insurance company Allstate to provide 30 minutes of free Internet access to passengers’ smartphones during weekend flights.
Gogo also recently announced that the next step in its technology roadmap is its Gogo Ground to Orbit (GTO), which combines its ground-based cellular network with satellite connections to provide peak speeds up to 60 Mbps, which is a 20-fold increase from the company’ original technology. Gogo GTO is expected to be available in the second half of 2014, for commercial aircraft flying in the U.S.
Along with the plans for speeding up its commercial aircraft service, Gogo’s Aircell division — which serves the business aviation market — unveiled a new equipment package for in-flight Internet and voice service. The ATG 2000 will begin shipping Oct. 7 and is designed for light gets and turboprops, with a retail price of about $57,000 for the system and monthly data subscription costs starting at $395. Voice plans start at $134.95 per month.
Travel Management Company is adding the system to its entire light jet charter fleet, with installations on TMC’s nearly 70 aircraft expected to be complete in November. ATG 2000 provides web browsing and e-mail service, with optional voice service for up to two simultaneous calls. The system doesn’t support streaming audio or video.
“The ATG 2000 is a great new equipment option that offers the most popular Gogo Biz connectivity and voice services in an affordable equipment package,” said John Wade, Aircell’s executive VP and general manager. “Among other segments, we expect it to be a popular option for light jets and turboprops, as well as for customers replacing MagnaStar systems prior to the Airfone shutdown on December 31 this year.”
