Gogo testing for Global Broadband Antenna achieves major milestone

Gogo Business Aviation has achieved another important milestone with its Gogo Galileo global broadband service completing end-to-end connectivity using the HDX antenna on the fully deployed Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit satellite network. Gogo Galileo remains on track for commercial launch later this year. In February, Gogo received the first fully constructed engineering prototype of the HDX antenna from Hughes Network Systems, LLC , an EchoStar company, which is designed to be small enough to fit on virtually any size business aircraft, and immediately began software integration and validation testing at its Broomfield, Colo., headquarters. 

Sergio Aguirre, president and COO for Gogo commented: “Gogo Galileo HDX stands to revolutionize business aviation inflight connectivity by delivering a solution fit for aircraft of all sizes, especially small jets, which have limited options today, and no broadband options outside North America. We remain on track to deliver this game-changing technology later this year.”

Flight testing with the HDX terminal will begin this summer with certification and commercial launch expected later this year.

Reza Rasoulian, vice president, Hughes, said: “Today’s passengers demand exceptional connectivity while traveling, even while flying. The ability to provide secure and reliable connectivity globally is a critical need in the industry and Hughes is proud to be a partner in bringing Gogo Galileo to market.”

Jason Sperry, head of business aviation for Eutelsat OneWeb stated: “This successful test of the Gogo Galileo HDX on the Eutelsat OneWeb network is a meaningful milestone, and extremely timely ahead of our launch of aviation connectivity services later this year. Our LEO constellation is fully deployed, and we are finalizing the ground infrastructure to deliver seamless, low latency and high-performance broadband connectivity to business jets no matter where they fly.”