Gogo Snaps Up More License, Plans To Keep Your In-Air Internet Experience Brisk
If you think wireless data companies have to worry about bandwidth on the ground, just try managing bandwidth in the air. Gogo knows all about it. After expanding from the darling of the skies into a sheer powerhouse, used to bring wireless Internet to hundreds upon hundreds of planes whisking around America each day, the company is now looking at ways to make sure the future is as bright as the present. The company has this week announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire the Airfone business unit from LiveTV, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways Corporation. The acquisition will give Gogo a 1 MHz spectrum license currently held by LiveTV.
That may sound like mumbo-jumbo to most, but it's hugely important. The 1 MHz license will be used as a supplement to Gogo's existing 3 MHz license and is expected to enhance its' Air-to-Ground network, which is used to provide connectivity service to commercial airlines and business aircraft over the contiguous United States and portions of Alaska. In other words, more bandwidth for flying Internet users. The deal is obviously subject to FCC approval, but there's one more thing that Gogo's tossing into the rear of its release: "In addition to acquiring the 1 MHz spectrum license, Gogo also will acquire all of the network infrastructure and back-office operational assets of Airfone and looks forward to working with current Airfone customers now and in the future."
With more and more companies looking to enter the Internet-in-the-sky space, Gogo just took a major step to ensure its crown.
That may sound like mumbo-jumbo to most, but it's hugely important. The 1 MHz license will be used as a supplement to Gogo's existing 3 MHz license and is expected to enhance its' Air-to-Ground network, which is used to provide connectivity service to commercial airlines and business aircraft over the contiguous United States and portions of Alaska. In other words, more bandwidth for flying Internet users. The deal is obviously subject to FCC approval, but there's one more thing that Gogo's tossing into the rear of its release: "In addition to acquiring the 1 MHz spectrum license, Gogo also will acquire all of the network infrastructure and back-office operational assets of Airfone and looks forward to working with current Airfone customers now and in the future."
With more and more companies looking to enter the Internet-in-the-sky space, Gogo just took a major step to ensure its crown.
