Gogo Updating ATG Network to Newer Technology

Gogo expects to transition to the new LTE (long-term evolution) network early in 2026, and at that time anyone using a legacy Gogo system on board their aircraft will lose their inflight connectivity unless they upgrade to an VANCE L3, L5 or LX5 system.

And while 20 months from now might seem like a long time, demand for shop space at MROs is already becoming limited, and with approximately 3,000 aircraft that need to be upgraded to AVANCE, it’s important for the upgrade to be scheduled soon before space gets even tighter.

Those who wait and don’t act sooner than later are at risk of losing their ATG service before they receive the upgrade to AVANCE. “The migration to LTE technology for our network is great news for our legacy customers,” said Sergio Aguirre, Gogo’s President and COO.

“When operators put an AVANCE system on board, they’ll see an immediate impact, and when the LTE network is turned on, they’ll see another boost in performance. The key here is to get the upgrade done as soon as possible, and we’re offering significant incentives to make it affordable and as easy as possible.”

The incentives being offered to customers who upgrade to AVANCE are significant: $50,000 for an upgrade to AVANCE L5 and $25,000 for an upgrade to AVANCE L3 (MAX and PLUS configurations).

“The incentives will expire, though, and we’re already seeing limitations on dealer availability,” Aguirre explains. “Getting the upgrade completed sooner than later ensures you’ll get space at a participating MRO. The closer to the deadline we get, the less likely you’ll get a dedicated slot.”

As it relates to aircraft downtime, Aguirre says that the company’s engineers have worked hard to develop installation guidelines for AVANCE systems so that upgrades can be completed as quickly as possible.

“It’s not a difficult installation in most instances,” he says. “For the majority of AVANCE L3 installations, you change the LRU and add some additional I/O, and that’s it. In some limited cases, you may also need to change some cabling.

AVANCE L5 upgrades require a change to the fuselage-mounted antennas to bidirectional units.

“The simplicity of the installation is a big reason why we are encouraging customers to upgrade when their aircraft is in for routine maintenance or inspections. It’s not extensive; it just takes planning,” Aguirre continues.

“And then once the AVANCE hardware is installed in the aircraft, future upgrades will be as simple as downloading new software.”

Gogo Built AVANCE Anticipating New Technologies, Like LTE

Gogo has been planning for the move to LTE for a few years now, it’s something the company’s been working toward.

“About seven or eight years ago, we recognized that a few things were going to happen that would have a big impact on our industry,” sys Aguirre. “We recognized that our ATG network was getting a little long in the tooth and we were going to need to plan for an upgrade to Gogo LTE.”

Gogo says the transition to LTE was necessary because the global telecommunications industry has comprehensively moved to the newer LTE technology and older technology is becoming obsolete. That’s why the upgrade to AVANCE is necessary. Today’s AVANCE systems come equipped with an LTE air card already installed so they’re already set to operate when the new network goes live.

In addition, AVANCE enables new capabilities the legacy ATG systems do not, including the leading inflight entertainment system for Business Aviation – Gogo Vision – and over-the-air software updates to keep the system current.