Gogo

Intelsat orders two satellites from Airbus
Intelsat has ordered two geostationary communications satellites from Airbus Defence and Space that will support the satellite operator’s aviation connectivity business.

Intelsat buys Gogo commercial aviation business for $400 million
Commercial satellite operator Intelsat, still operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is purchasing a large chunk of inflight connectivity provider Gogo’s business for $400 million.

Gogo pursuing satellite contract changes as coronavirus dampens demand
Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne said the coronavirus pandemic is partly behind the company’s cost-saving efforts, since decreased airline traffic has had a knock-on effect on demand for passenger Wi-Fi.

Eutelsat places satellite order with Thales Alenia Space, Gogo an anchor customer
Eutelsat and Thales Alenia Space said Oct. 29 that they had signed a “letter of agreement” for the production of Eutelsat-10B, an all-electric satellite that will carry more capacity than its predecessor, Eutelsat-10A.

AT&T exec retiring • Kacific to use ABS teleport • Gogo secures $30 million credit line
John Donovan, the CEO of AT&T Communications, is stepping down after two years in the position.

SoftBank to help OneWeb with product dev • Phasor makes antenna progress • Kleos Space waits out Rocket Lab delay
OneWeb investor SoftBank says it will help the satellite operator with product development and forming commercial partnerships

Gogo considers splitting company, overhauls business plan amid financial pressures
Gogo, an inflight connectivity provider leasing capacity on dozens of satellites, bulldozed its old business plan July 13 amid looming concerns over unprofitability, encroaching debt deadlines, and a potential buyout.

Gogo defends heavy spending on 2Ku airline installations
Gogo says the larger loss it took last quarter, largely for financing airline customers’ 2Ku satellite antenna installations, will pay off meaningfully as those customers start generating revenue.

Gogo sparks war of words with Inmarsat, ViaSat over lease versus owner model
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo is causing sparks to fly over its claim that leasing capacity is superior to owning satellites and that proponents of pure satellite ownership are only promoting ownership models to protect their business.

Gogo says it wants no parts of satellite ownership
In-flight connectivity provider Gogo says it has zero interest in owning a satellite or satellites when it can lease capacity at will.

SmartSky raises $170 million for terrestrial in-flight connectivity network
SmartSky Networks, a startup building cellular towers for in-flight connectivity — a market coveted and dominated by satellite operators — says it is fully funded to build out ground-based network thanks to a new $170 million Series B funding round.

Gogo views network upgrades as bulwark against in-flight-connectivity newcomers
In-flight connectivity provider Gogo told investors Nov. 3 that emerging aeronautical connectivity providers won’t be able to catch up with its market position, especially once its next generation air-to-ground network is operational in 2018.

Gogo: North American market will be awash in Ku-band in 2020
In-flight connectivity provider Gogo Inc. on Sept. 29 presented a relentlessly optimistic view of its future, saying per-aircraft revenue will double within five years and competitors’ catch-up attempts — including Viasat’s monster Ka-band satellites and Inmarsat’s air-to-ground service in Europe — are minor drive-by attractions.

SES enters Ka-band airline connectivity market with Thales Avionics as customer
Satellite fleet operator SES, in a direct challenge to competitors ViaSat, Eutelsat and Inmarsat, is investing $500 million in a large, all-Ka-band spot beam high-throughput satellite to launch over the Americas in 2020 for aeronautical connectivity and other mobility applications, industry officials said.

Gogo says its 2Ku’s 100 Mbps is airline Holy Grail, higher speeds not crucial
PARIS – In-flight broadband provider Gogo Inc. on Aug. 4 said early results from its 2Ku satellite broadband service suggest it is outperforming expectations and will pay for itself within two or three years of installation on a commercial jet.<...