SES-15 Is Delivering Increased HTS Capacity to More Than 200 Gogo-Equipped Aircraft
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APEX Insight: SES-15 only entered service last month, but more than 200 aircraft equipped with Gogo’s 2Ku connectivity are already taking advantage of the increased capacity on flights over North America.
More than 200 Gogo 2Ku-equipped aircraft are making use of the increased capacity delivered by SES-15. The hybrid Ku/Ka-band geostationary high-throughput satellite (HTS) is SES’s first with coverage over North America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Gogo said today that the aircraft began using the additional capacity in January, SES-15s first month of operation. It said all aircraft that have its next-generation modem installed will “experience an even better customer experience with improved economics.”
“Gogo’s 2Ku technology is delivering industry leading performance today, but we designed the 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,” said Elias Zaccack, executive vice-president of Global Sales at SES Networks. “We are proud of our strong working relationship with the entire Gogo team.”
To date, Gogo has secured capacity on 11 SES satellites across the world. This includes SES-14, which launched on an Ariane 5 rocket last month and narrowly avoided disaster when Arianespace temporarily lost contact with the rocket a few seconds after its upper stage ignited, and SES-12, which is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral by the end of March on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The 5.4-ton SES-12 satellite is currently completing its final tests at the Airbus facility in Toulouse and is the most powerful electric satellite platform ever built. Once launched and in geostationary orbit, SES-12 will provide coverage over a vast swathe of Eurasia, spanning as far west as Cyprus to Japan in the east and from Australia to as far north as Russia.