Rival in-flight Wi-Fi and digital entertainment companies Row 44 and Gogo both announced deployment milestones this week.
Row 44 disclosed that its satellite-based in-flight entertainment and connectivity service, which includes high-speed Internet, shopping, destination services and real-time flight map with updates, has been installed on 400 Southwest aircraft. Southwest also offers Row 44's live television service, which uses its own distinct band so as to not interfere with Internet connectivity, across all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft.
The Row 44 platform is based on Ku-band satellite technology, and Southwest was the first U.S. airline to test satellite-delivered broadband Internet access on multiple aircraft.
"We have found the strength of satellite service has allowed us to deliver very high bandwidth for Internet users and provide our in-flight entertainment via the addition of live television," said Dave Ridley, Southwest's CMO.
Meanwhile, Row 44's rival Gogo announced that, to date, it won contracts from several major U.S. and international airlines to outfit more than 400 aircraft with Ku-band satellite connectivity.
Gogo said it also has installed its Air to Ground (ATG) solution installed on more than 1,700 aircraft and its next generation ATG technology--ATG-4--is installed on more than 100 aircraft, bringing its total number of installed aircraft to more than 1,800 across nine major airlines.
The company's wireless in-flight entertainment solution, Gogo Vision, is also installed on more than 300 American, Delta and US Airways aircraft. Gogo expects to have more than 1,500 aircraft installed with Gogo Vision by the end of 2013.
"Gogo remains technology neutral and plans to add additional technologies to our portfolio as they become available to the aero market, including Inmarsat's Global Express Ka-satellite solution," said Michael Small, Gogo's president and CEO.
For more:
- see this Row 44 release
- see this Gogo release
Related articles:
United unveils international long-haul Wi-Fi service
Gogo installing satellite and ATG service for American Airlines
Emirates to allow in-flight cellphone calls via OnAir
Boeing to enable in-flight Wi-Fi and cell phone connectivity on new 747s and 777s
JetBlue to offer ViaSat in-flight broadband
Singapore Airlines launches ambitious $50M in-flight Internet program