Summary points:
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Milestone Achieved: Gogo and GCT Semiconductor completed the first successful end-to-end 5G call for business aviation on June 16, confirming the readiness of Gogo’s next-gen 5G air-to-ground chipset for integration and deployment.
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System Deployment Nears: With final testing underway, Gogo plans to begin shipping its 5G system—including the AVANCE LX5 unit and antennas—to its MRO network, aiming to offer faster, more reliable in-flight connectivity across North America by the end of 2025.
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Infrastructure in Place: Gogo has built a 5G network of 170 towers across the U.S. and Canada and received FAA approval for the AVANCE LX5 LRU, enabling streamlined installation on more than 300 pre-provisioned aircraft.
BROOMFIELD, Colo. - Gogo in Broomfield, Colo., and GCT Semiconductor in San Jose, Calif., announced the successful completion of its first end-to-end call using Gogo’s next-generation 5G air-to-ground (ATG) technology on commercial aircraft.
GCT Semiconductor delivered its new 5G chipset to network deployment partner Airspan in May. Airspan then integrated the chip into its system to support the lab-based call, confirming the 5G hardware and software are ready for final integration testing and optimization.
The successful call moves Gogo closer to deploying its 5G ATG system across North America. Once testing and documentation are completed, the company plans to ship the equipment to its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) network for installation. The system is designed to offer improved broadband performance, supporting simultaneous video conferencing, streaming, and multi-device use.
Gogo announces Gulfstream GV and G550 STC for Plane Simple tech
"Successful validation of the chip represents a major achievement for us and our dedicated partners at GCT and Airspan," said Gogo CEO Chris Moore. "Our North American tower network is 5G-ready, the antennas are prepared for shipping, and the technology is in place to enable connection through the AVANCE LX5 LRUs."
Gogo says it has made substantial investments to support the rollout, including a network of 170 5G towers across the U.S. and parts of Canada, a new 5G core at its data center, and FAA approval to produce its AVANCE LX5 Line Replaceable Unit.
