Choose your inflight connectivity carefully, or else

For the last few decades, business jet owners, operators, passengers, flight crews and operations staff have had a decidedly love-hate relationship with inflight connectivity. Slow or unreliable and dropped connections were – and still are – the norm. 

Fortunately, SmartSky has cracked the code via a NOW available, reliable, broadband, air-to-ground (ATG) capability that makes streaming video, inflight Netflix, video conferencing, and sending and receiving large files easy, just like when using WiFi on the ground. Customers are raving about the striking difference they experience when using SmartSky inflight.

“It Exceeded My Expectations”

“It exceeded my expectations. I was able to do more than I thought I was going to be able to do. I had a couple devices connected, my phone, my iPad. I was able to watch a movie on Netflix on my iPad while sending emails and Teams messages, and made a call on my mobile phone,” said a Director of Client Relations at a charter company about SmartSky's unprecedented inflight WiFi, which enables using many simultaneous devices without artificial restrictions on the types of connected activities and number of devices you can use inflight.

Yet many of those who stand to benefit most from this solution are wary. Several other new entrants to the IFC market are not yet widely available – or available at all – which begs the question: should we wait? The answer is a resounding NO.

• EDITOR’S NOTE: Even if you don’t have the time to read this article, you should check out the limited time incentives from SmartSky to upgrade to the most advanced inflight connectivity ever built and save up to $50,000. Learn more.

Are You Being Forced To Pay To Upgrade Your Atg System?

AKA, upgrade your connectivity, or else. For those with incumbent ATG systems, aviation journalist Mary Kirby may have said it best in her recent (June 21) article Opportunity arises as Gogo plans 2026 phase out of Classic ATG support where she stated, “Thousands of Gogo’s legacy air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity installations on business aircraft appear poised to lose access to inflight connectivity if their owners do not upgrade to Gogo’s Avance products — or indeed to another IFC solution — by early 2026.” These customers have received notifications from MROs saying the same. (Kirby has also covered this topic in a premium <login required> story Operators urged to upgrade hardware or lose IFC). All this at a typical cost well over one to $200,000 and potentially extended down-time for the aircraft, which represents even more expense in terms of loss of productivity for a solution that may not be much better.

Faced with its first-ever ATG competition, Gogo, the ATG incumbent, is trying to catch up. Gogo recently announced a “5G” solution of its own. But, that system may not be all that you expect based on its name. For starters, it’s not yet available to customers. Second, it will only fit on larger aircraft, so smaller airframes are stuck with the legacy 3G system. Third, “Gogo 5G” is delivered in a hybrid fashion – switching between the new network and the 3 MHz 3G network when flying over urban areas, which are the very same places where many customers need high performance WiFi the most. If you want a consistent level of service wherever you fly, be careful, as this sounds similar to what it’s like when your cell phone switches from 5G or LTE to 3G roaming and your streaming sessions stop and browsing slows to a crawl. Unfortunately, many Gogo customers won’t know this until it is far too late, after they have spent time and money on an installation and perhaps signed a multi-year contract.

Does Your Current Wifi Solution Use Unsecure Components?

If you have Gogo it does. It’s no secret the U.S. government’s decision that certain electronics pose a security risk has pushed Gogo to undertake the rip, replace, and disposal of hardware sourced from China’s ZTE that is in widespread use on its network right now. Additionally, the upgrade to the onboard equipment will also be required to be compatible with the prospective new ground network. This takes time, and until it’s complete, Gogo customers may be at risk. Under the best case scenario it equates to changing out approximately 110 systems per month between now and the 2026 deadline. SmartSky is available right now, while after several years of delays, Gogo has now promised a late-2023 availability for its new “Gogo 5G” network. Yet, there’s reason to be concerned about that timeframe. The company has been stymied by chipset issues and technology delays.

Upgrade To Smartsky Instead And Save Thousands

Making the buying decision even easier, SmartSky recently introduced a limited-time incentive with cash savings of up to $50,000 that makes SmartSky the most attractive choice for any size business aircraft in service for travel within the continental United States. As part of the program, customers receive installation and subscription pricing comparable to or less than that of Gogo’s Avance L3 or Avance L5 products. Unlike Gogo, however, SmartSky places no artificial limits on the number of simultaneously connected devices – and whether utilizing SmartSky Flagship (for mid to large cabin aircraft) or SmartSky LITE (for smaller business aircraft), all get identical access to the same high performance network and streaming capabilities. Plus, when installed on aircraft that use satellite-equipment for flights over poles and oceans, they can make SmartSky their primary service domestically and get the added benefits of increased redundancy, high performance, and cost savings of SmartSky.

Don’t Yet Have Ifc? You’re Not Alone. The Majority Of Business Aircraft Are Under-Connected Or Not Connected At All.

Even with the inflight connectivity products currently available from incumbent satellite and ATG providers, the majority of business aircraft are not IFC equipped or are simply not happy with what they have. In our constantly connected world, virtually nobody wants to be left disconnected for even an hour or two – think the feeling of the dreaded dead battery on your phone or laptop, let alone on a couple hour flight. In short, the vast majority of business jet owners and operators in the U.S. were already or are now suddenly in the market for inflight connectivity. With that in mind, now is the perfect time for buyers to explore the options.

Choose Your Inflight Connectivity Carefully, Or Else.

Or else you could be left disconnected, or disappointed, or both. Along with Gogo’s long promised “Gogo 5G” network and even as Starlink, Intelsat, and OneWeb race to offer their services to aviation on a widespread basis, they’re primarily making “promises” of speeds and/or ubiquitous coverage – but have you heard from anyone who has actually used the service? Does it work as advertised? Is it affordable? That’s where SmartSky is doing and offering something truly different: inflight WiFi that actually works with everything-all-at-once connectivity. How do you know? By asking an actual person who has just stepped off a SmartSky-equipped flight about their experience. 

Oh, and the decision to get connected with SmartSky is even easier RIGHT NOW with thousands in cashback savings. 

The Wait For Something Better Is Over.

If an owner-operator is even considering connectivity – whether new installation or upgrade, it is time to look at SmartSky—disappointing inflight WiFi options can now be replaced by a proven connected experience that exceeds expectations, enabling everyone on the aircraft (cabin, cockpit and the aircraft itself) to connect to whatever is most important in real-time, without waiting to land. All this is delivered via groundbreaking, patented technology that solves the lackluster connectivity problems they’ve been stuck with for decades.  

You don’t even have to take our word for it. Be sure to watch this video and the others above with users talking about how they were able to connect with SmartSky.

If you want to hear more, want to schedule an experience flight or are ready to get onboard with SmartSky no matter what you fly, ask your MRO or OEM for SmartSky on your aircraft and contact [email protected], call 800.660.9982 or visit www.smartskynetworks.com. The wait is over!