In preparation for the launch of the Gogo 5G air-to-ground connectivity service later this year, Gogo Business Aviation is conducting virtual flight simulation testing of 5G software. The tests are being done with a virtual flight simulator developed by Gogo’s radio frequency engineering team.
Using proprietary information and flight data, Gogo is able to “check performance of the radio frequency, taking into consideration factors like doppler, altitude, flight routes, angle of approach, beam-forming technology, and other parameters as Gogo optimizes the 5G service and onboard connectivity performance," the company said.
Running the 5G tests on the simulator enables Gogo to conduct end-to-end testing of the system prior to deployment and also to mature the 5G software faster before starting flight testing. After the simulation testing is done, Gogo will begin flying its Challenger 300 equipped with the 5G hardware. The 5G tower network serving the continental U.S. and large parts of Canada is already complete.
“The virtual flight simulator our team has constructed is an example of what we do best: innovate," said Gogo president and CEO Sergio Aguirre. “Our teams have designed a method for validating and maturing our 5G software and hardware to a critical degree before the final 5G chip is in our hands.”