Gogo's 5G Takes Flight, Facing Fierce In-Flight Wi-Fi Competition

BROOMFIELD, CO – December 29, 2025 – Gogo Business Aviation has officially launched its next-generation 5G air-to-ground (ATG) network, a move poised to significantly upgrade the in-flight internet experience for business aviation across North America. Following years of development and a series of delays, the company confirmed the service will be available to customers beginning in January 2026, marking a critical milestone in a market defined by an insatiable hunger for speed and reliability.

The announcement follows a rigorous flight-testing campaign involving more than 30 hours of flying across nearly 20 different routes. During these trials, Gogo's 5G network consistently delivered broadband speeds exceeding 80 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. These performance metrics represent a quantum leap over previous ATG technologies, enabling passengers to seamlessly stream high-definition content, participate in video conferences, and browse the web simultaneously without the frustrating lag that has long plagued airborne connectivity.

"We talk a lot about milestones, and this is really an exceptional one for Gogo," said Chris Moore, CEO of Gogo, in a statement. "While we have had delays, we are now focused on delivering a brand-new broadband ATG service to our customers that will satisfy data-hungry flyers within North America."

A New Standard for the Connected Cabin

The immediate impact of the 5G launch is aimed squarely at the user experience inside the cabin. For corporate flight departments and high-net-worth individuals, the aircraft is an extension of the office and home. The ability to offer reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but a core expectation. Gogo's 5G service directly addresses this demand within its coverage area, which spans the contiguous United States and Southern Canada.

The company is hitting the ground running. It has already onboarded its first paying customer and has a backlog of 450 aircraft that are pre-provisioned and ready to activate the service from January onwards. To facilitate a rapid rollout, Gogo has secured contracts for 33 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) that cover all major business jet types. With 28 of these STCs already completed, the company has unlocked a potential market of over 7,500 aircraft that can be upgraded to the new technology with relative ease, particularly for those already equipped with Gogo's popular AVANCE platform.

This established footprint provides a significant advantage. For thousands of existing customers, the upgrade to 5G is a less intensive and more cost-effective path to next-generation speeds compared to installing an entirely new satellite-based system. This strategic leverage of its existing infrastructure and customer base is central to Gogo's plan for market dominance in North America.

High Stakes in a Crowded Sky

While Gogo celebrates its 5G activation, the launch occurs under immense pressure from a rapidly evolving competitive landscape. The primary challenge comes not from the ground, but from low-Earth orbit (LEO). SpaceX's Starlink Business Aviation has emerged as a formidable disruptor, offering a global satellite-based service that promises speeds of up to 350 Mbps and low latency, effectively challenging the performance and geographic limitations of any ground-based network.

This intense competition has not gone unnoticed by investors. In the six months leading up to this launch, Gogo's stock (NASDAQ: GOGO) has seen a significant decline, falling nearly 69% and trading near its 52-week low. Earlier in 2025, financial services firm William Blair downgraded the stock, citing the intensifying competition from Starlink as a key factor, alongside concerns about the company's debt load. Gogo's own financial reports from 2025 painted a mixed picture, with strong year-over-year revenue growth offset by a net loss in the third quarter and metrics indicating high financial leverage.

This context elevates the 5G launch from a simple product release to a high-stakes strategic imperative. Gogo is betting that its superior low-latency ATG performance, entrenched market position in North America, and easier upgrade path will be enough to defend its home turf against the allure of global satellite solutions offered by Starlink and established satellite giant Viasat, which now owns Inmarsat.

The Air-to-Ground Gambit and a Global Hedge

Gogo's strategy is a calculated gamble on the unique strengths of its ATG network. While satellite services provide crucial over-ocean and global coverage, ATG technology inherently offers lower latency because the signal travels a much shorter distance to a nearby ground tower rather than to a satellite thousands of miles in space. This is a critical advantage for real-time applications like video calls and online gaming, which are highly sensitive to delays.

By focusing on perfecting the ATG experience for the dense North American business aviation market, Gogo is catering to a large segment of users whose travel is primarily domestic. The company is wagering that for these customers, the best-in-class regional performance of its 5G network will outweigh the need for constant global connectivity.

However, Gogo is not ignoring the global trend. The company is pursuing a multi-faceted strategy to ensure it remains competitive beyond North America. Its 2024 acquisition of Satcom Direct was a clear move to expand its global service offerings. Furthermore, the company is actively developing its own LEO satellite solution, Gogo Galileo, which aims to provide global broadband coverage. This dual approach—perfecting its regional ATG 5G while simultaneously building out a global satellite option—positions Gogo as a "multi-orbit, multi-band" provider, capable of offering customers a tailored solution that best fits their specific mission profiles, whether regional or intercontinental. The success of the 5G rollout will therefore be a crucial test of the first pillar of this broader strategy, proving its ability to deliver on its promises and maintain loyalty in its core market.