Regulatory approval has been a major concern since the day Spirit Airlines became a takeover target a year ago. Now, seven months after JetBlue won the bidding battle, it must convince US regulators – or a judge – that consolidation is good for consumers. And the Department of Justice will not make that an easy task.
lawsuit
SmartSky boosts patent claims against Gogo
SmartSky’s patent lawsuit against Gogo has grown. By increasing the number of patents at issue, SmartSky gains additional opportunities to win the suit; any one violation is sufficient for it to secure victory.
Gogo’s 5G chips move to manufacturing
Last August Gogo announced a delay in its Gogo 5G network activation, owing to issues in development of the chipset for its on-board modem. Today the company confirms that those issues are resolved.
Gogo sees record revenue, saves on 5G lawsuit costs
Gogo’s legal victory at the end of September allows the company to continue selling its new Gogo 5G network, even as SmartSky believes it will succeed with an appeal to have the injunction reinstated. The ruling also saved the company a few million dollars.
Gogo completes 5G tower deployment
With the final panels hoisted on to a tower atop a mountain in Oregon this week, Gogo now claims a completed 5G air-to-ground network as part of the company’s in-flight connectivity offerings. It is a major milestone for the rollout, but it will still be some time before planes are flying with the new network online.
A make or break situation for SmartSky, Gogo in patent showdown
Can you have a continuous inflight internet connection, even when the link between an aircraft and the ground occasionally breaks? This question is one of several at the crux of the SmartSky/Gogo patent dispute. And as SmartSky appeals the ruling from earlier late last month denying it a preliminary injunction, this technical nuance takes the spotlight.
Gogo evades 5G injunction in SmartSky suit
Gogo scored an early victory in the proceedings of the patent infringement lawsuit brought by SmartSky. The District Court in Delaware declined SmartSky’s request for a preliminary injunction, allowing Gogo to continue developing, installing, and marketing the Gogo 5G solution.
SmartSky offers details on nationwide network deployment
Wondering where SmartSky’s air-to-ground inflight WiFi towers are? The company appears happy to share that information. It released a map showing the coverage footprint in response to “several requests for a coverage map to illustrate the availability of SmartSky’s inflight connectivity and the distinctive way in which it is delivered.”
Gogo hits halfway on 5G deployment
Gogo hit the halfway point in its 5G network deployment. The company announced installation of the 75th upgraded tower, of the planned 150 expected at service launch planned for later this year.
Spirit wins Newark slots, with conditions to keep them
pirit Airlines led the legal charge to ensure the slots Southwest Airlines abandoned at Newark would be reallocated. Now, after much legal wrangling, the carrier won the rights to those 16 slots.