Gogo‘s new 5G in-flight WiFi service moved step closer to reality, with the airplane antenna receiving certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. The company announced both Supplemental Type Certification (STC) and Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA). With these in hand it can move forward with production manufacturing of the components.
Receiving STC and PMA for the 5G antenna marks the next important milestone in the development of Gogo 5G.
– Sergio Aguirre, president of Gogo Business Aviation
The STC for the multiband belly-mounted 5G antenna was completed by Duncan Aviation on its company-owned Citation 560XLS. In November, Gogo also announced that Duncan Aviation is working to complete the first-article STC for the onboard 5G system.
Among the key design features in the new antenna is a common mounting arrangement with the Gogo AVANCE platform. Gogo promises a simple swap of hardware to enable airlines to upgrade from existing installations. CEO Oakleigh Thorne previously described it as an identical mount, “exactly where the old antennae are,” down to the same screw holes.
The common layout also helps partners develop installation STCs for the full solution. Modifying the existing STCs is easier than developing new ones.
Duncan Aviation previously announced its intention to pursue Gogo 5G installation STCs across its full portfolio of AVANCE L5 options, including:
- Bombardier Global Express, 5000, XRS, 5500, 6000, 6500 Bombardier
- Challenger CL-650, CL-605, CL-604, CL-601-3A, CL-601-3RB
- Bombardier Challenger 300, 350
- Gulfstream GIV, G300, G400
- Gulfstream GIV-X, G350, G450
- Gulfstream Aerospace LP Galaxy, Gulfstream 200
- Dassault Falcon 900
- Dassault Falcon 900EX (EX, EASy, LX, DX)
- Dassault Falcon 2000
- Dassault Falcon 2000EX (EX, EASy, LX, DX)
- Textron Aviation Inc. 680, 680+
- Textron Aviation Inc. 750
- Textron Aviation Inc. 560XL, 560XLS, 560XLS+
Gogo 5G is expected to deliver ~25 Mbps on average with peak speeds in the 75-80 Mbps range and has been designed to deliver high throughput with very low latency to address the increasing demand for data-heavy interactive services like video conferencing.
Gogo Business Aviation president Sergio Aguirre is confident in the progress to date and says Gogo remains “on track and on budget to launch [Gogo 5G] service in the second half of 2022.”
More Gogo 5G news:
- Gogo 5G test network now online
- Gogo snags 5G STC partnership for 30 aircraft types
- Gogo boasts 25 Mbps per plane (or more!) for new 5G network
- Gogo announces Jet Edge as 5G launch customer
- Gogo slips 5G to 2022, sees smooth upgrade path
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