Gogo Unveils Its Next In-Air Technological Innovation: Gogo Text & Talk

New Application Allows Passengers to Leverage Gogo's In-Flight Wi-Fi to Enable Text & Voice Features on Passengers' Own Smartphones

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Gogo

Nov 08, 2013, 12:00 ET

ITASCA, Ill., Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO), the world leader of in-flight connectivity and a pioneer in wireless in-flight digital entertainment solutions, unveiled its new Text & Talk technology today. The new technology leverages Gogo's in-flight Wi-Fi system to allow passengers to send text messages and make phone calls using their own smartphone much like they do on the ground.

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To utilize Gogo Text & Talk, passengers will be required to download an App from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Once passengers have the App, they will be able to send and receive text messages in real time from 30,000 feet traveling in excess of 500 miles-per-hour.

"Gogo Text & Talk is just one more way Gogo is keeping airline passengers connected to their lives on the ground," said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo's chief marketing officer. "While we see this as more of a text messaging product for commercial airlines in the United States, the phone functionality is something that some international air carriers and our business aviation customers are asking for."

Gogo's Text & Talk application serves as an extension of a GSM or CDMA cellular network, without the need to install picocells, which is a small cellular station that is often installed on planes to deliver similar services. This enables any smart phone user to roam onto Gogo's in-flight Wi-Fi system as if they were roaming onto a land-based cellular network where they can continue to access their messaging and phone services anywhere a Gogo equipped aircraft flies.

"The great part about this technology is that it doesn't require us to install anything new to an aircraft and we can bundle it with or without connectivity," added ElDifrawi. "We have already launched the service with some of our business aviation customers and we are talking with our commercial airline partners about launching the service for their passengers."

About Gogo
Gogo is the global leader of in-flight connectivity and wireless in-flight digital entertainment solutions. Using Gogo's exclusive products and services, passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices can get online on more than 2,000 Gogo equipped commercial aircraft. In-flight connectivity partners include American Airlines, Air Canada, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America. In-flight entertainment partners include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Scoot and US Airways. In addition to its commercial airline business, Gogo has more than 6,500 business aircraft outfitted with its communications services.

Back on the ground, Gogo's 600+ employees in Itasca, IL, Broomfield, CO and London are working to continually redefine flying as a productive, socially connected, and all-around more satisfying experience. Connect with Gogo at www.gogoair.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gogo and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gogo.