Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Gogo service provider to bring high-speed Internet during flights. As part of the deal, which was announced Wednesday, Virgin will take advantage of Gogo's new satellite-based 2Ku system to bring Internet service for flight attendees with speeds up to 70Mbps. The deal is subject to closure after the two firms conclude the final terms.
According to a report by PCMag, the European airlines will deploy Gogo's in-flight 2Ku solution in the middle of next year. Gogo currently offers its services in more than 2,000 commercial flights that are run by 10 major airlines and brings Internet access to more than 6,000 business aircrafts, the report added. According to Virgin Atlantic, it is the first European airline to have partnered with Gogo in bringing the latest Internet solution in aircrafts.
Gogo originally launched its in-flight service five years ago, with speeds up to 3.1Mbps. But the company has grown since and last year it rolled out the next-gen ATG-service that bumped the speeds up to 9.8Mbps. The latest 2Ku technology, which was announced in April, brings unmatched speeds of up to 70Mbps in the U.S. and around the world.
In separate news, the fourth largest wireless carrier in the U.S., T-Mobile, also announced its partnership with Gogo to bring unlimited texting on flight. The carrier offers the service on select handsets, including Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, iPhone 5S and LG G3. The aero-communications service provider also partnered with Vietnam Airlines to bring high speed Internet in flights.
