Gogo reveals performance upgrade plan for fast-growing Galileo product
Connectivity provider promises significant speed increases from LEO satellite-based system by 2032 with minimal hardware changes required.
Connectivity provider Gogo has outlined a long-term performance improvement roadmap for its Galileo platform, promising to deliver “substantial upgrades” roughly every 24 months over the next six years.
This will see download speeds rise from 60Mbps with a HDX antenna or 195Mbps with the FDX antenna at present to 300Mbps and 1.5Gbps, respectively, by 2032.
Revealing the initiative ahead of the NBAA-BACE business aviation exhibition in Las Vegas on 19 October, Gogo said it was designed to give owners and operators “a basis for confidently investing today” and a “clear path” to meet rising customer expectations for higher connectivity levels.
“Installing connectivity is a long-term investment in an aircraft’s capability, productivity and appeal,” says Chris Moore, Gogo chief executive.
“Connectivity technology is evolving more rapidly now than ever before and our customers deserve to know their investment will serve them years from now.”
Although future upgrades will require certain hardware changes, such as to the antennas, these will have the same form factor as the current versions, simplifying installation.
“Gogo is designing the HDX and FDX upgrade path to preserve as much of the existing installation infrastructure as possible, including retention of the antenna mounts, fairing, and wiring to build on existing STCs,” it says.
Customers are also expected to benefit from broader service availability over the next decade as additional countries authorise low Earth orbit (LEO) operations.
Market penetration
From a standing start at its launch in 2024, Galileo has now achieved significant market penetration, “becoming the fastest-growing LEO operator in business aviation”, says Moore.
Gogo has so far obtained 42 supplemental type certificates for its installation, he notes.
And that market presence will be bolstered by Textron Aviation’s recent decision to offer no-charge line-fit installation of Galileo on Citation Longitude and Latitude aircraft. “I think their faith in us is really positive,” says Moore.
US Federal Aviation Administration approval for the modification was achieved on 15 October.
While he will not be drawn on their identity, Moore promises additional airframers are lined up to announce similar offers in the coming months.
“The other OEMs are getting behind Galileo and I think the reason why is we have designed it for business aviation – not just from a technical standpoint but from a commercialisation standpoint,” he says.
Additionally, on 15 October US fractional operator PlaneSense announced an agreement to equip its entire fleet of Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 aircraft with Galileo.
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