In-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo is about to get some serious competition with news the no.2 mobile-phone carrier in the US will launch its own commercial in-flight Internet access.
Partnering with Honeywell International, AT&T will launch 4G LTE wireless Internet on commercial flights by the end of 2015.
The company uses 4G LTE technology for its fastest mobile phone network on the ground.
It is looking to snag a share of a huge market and ever increasing demand for stable internet access in the sky, as more and more passengers travel with portable Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smart phones, tables and laptops.
The US in-flight Wi-Fi market’s one dominant player is Illinois-based Gogo Inc., which provides broadband service on over 2,000 commercial aircraft and a similar number of private corporate jets.
This would be the first use of 4G LTE technology in the skies, according to Roger Entner, an analyst with Massachusetts firm Recon Analytics.
"The service could potentially be faster, since you don’t have to bounce up to a satellite," Entner said.
After the announcement by Dallas-based AT&T, shares in Gogo Inc. fell 22% in late trading.
