Inflight broadband connectivity provider, Gogo has announced that 2Ku-equipped aircraft are the first to benefit from the HTS capacity of the SES-15 satellite. SES-15 entered service in January 2018 and is the first hybrid satellite for satellite operator SES, providing Ku-band wide beams and Ku-band spot-beam capacity over North America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
More than 200 aircraft equipped with 2Ku connectivity and an upgraded modem to maximize the capability of SES-15 came online in the satellite’s first operational month, and all other 2Ku-equipped aircraft currently in service are expected to be fitted with the new modem by the end of 2018.
In other Gogo news, the company has signed capacity agreements across 11 SES satellites around the world, including agreements for HTS capacity onboard SES-15 and also SES-14, which successfully launched in January 2018 and will provide additional HTS capacity over Latin America, the Caribbean, and across the North Atlantic.
“We designed 2Ku technology with an open architecture so it could take advantage of numerous enhancements over time,” said Anand Chari, Gogo’s chief technology officer. “As we layer in more HTS capacity from satellites like SES-15, 2Ku’s performance will get even stronger without having to touch the aircraft.”
“Deploying HTS connectivity requires a coordinated and collaborative approach because of the spot beam design,” added Elias Zaccack, executive vice president of global sales at SES Networks.