Global space-based communications company OneWeb has agreed a long term distribution partnership with Gogo Business Aviation, whereby the in-flight connectivity solutions provider will market and sell OneWeb's high-speed, low latency inflight broadband services to business aviation users globally. The is the company's first distribution partner for the business aviation market, and the choice was based on Gogo's reputation, maturity in the market and deep business aviation heritage; it has more than 4,500 narrowband satcom systems installed and flying worldwide, and is a factory option with every major business aircraft manufacturer.

“For more than 30 years, Gogo Business Aviation has been a driving force behind the technological innovations that have connected the skies,” says vice president, product management Jim MacDougall. “This agreement with OneWeb enables Gogo to continue to disrupt and innovate to bring our customers superior connectivity solutions while expanding our service to a global audience.”

Gogo's exclusive antenna assembly, designed in conjunction with Hughes Network Systems, will be small enough for installation on the fuselage of super light jets and large turboprops to ultra-long range jets, and will operate on OneWeb's high-speed, low-latency broadband global network.

To access the network, the new service will require just one Gogo Avance LRU inside the aircraft, which means existing Avance customers will only have to install the ESA antenna, with a single cable for power in and a single cable for data out.

"This will be a fast and affordable broadband system that will provide best-in-class global performance on the broadest range of aircraft in business aviation," says president and COO Sergio Aguirre. "We want to give everyone in business aviation the ability to have an exceptional broadband experience regardless of where they fly or what size aircraft they fly."

The OneWeb network will deliver performance comparable to terrestrial broadband services, with game-changing low latency that is significantly less than geostationary satellites (GEOs). A multitude of users will be able to simultaneously perform data-heavy interactive online activities such as conducting simultaneous live video conferences, accessing cloud solutions such as Office365, watching live TV, streaming video applications like TikTok and much more.

"Our agreement with Gogo Business Aviation represents a leap forward for business aviation connectivity," says OneWeb vice president mobility Ben Griffin. "By harnessing the power of our LEO constellation to deliver robust, consistent and reliable global coverage, OneWeb and Gogo will be able to offer an unmatched experience to business jet operators and passengers worldwide."

OneWeb's LEO constellation is fully funded and will consist of 648 satellites, 428 of which have already been launched.

"The world has been waiting for a high performance, cost-effective, flat panel antenna solution to realise the global, high-speed, low-latency promise of LEO satellite broadband, and Hughes has delivered," says Hughes vice president Reza Rasoulian. "Gogo's selection of the Hughes ESA solution affirms our engineering excellence and unlocks the value of OneWeb's global capacity for high-speed, inflight broadband anywhere on the planet."

Unlike GEO solutions, Gogo's LEO service will include one fuselage-mounted unit with an integrated antenna, modem, power supply and RF converter; will only require 28 volts of DC power; will not rely on aircraft-positioning data; and will include an Avance router.

"We've designed the system to reduce costs by simplifying the installation," Aguirre continues. "We have long delivered affordable, high-quality connectivity and award-winning customer service to aircraft owners in North America, and now we want to bring those same benefits to all aircraft owners in the rest of the world."

For customers with an Avance L3 or L5 system in North America, the unique multi-bearer capability of the Avance platform will allow Gogo to combine capacity from OneWeb's LEO satellite network with Gogo's ATG network to deliver even higher capacity than LEO alone can provide.

Business aviation services should be available in 2024, when OneWeb will deliver high-quality consistent connectivity, including Polar region coverage, at a time when cabin connectivity is a top ranked priority for private jet buyers and commercial operators.

Gogo will provide global customer support through its network of 118 authorised dealers, including 24 that operate outside the US, serving its more-than 1,000 non-US narrowband satellite customers that today operate in 83 countries around the world.