Delta will add Gogo’s 2Ku satellite-based internet
service to 350 more aircraft, eventually bringing its total number of aircraft with Gogo’s
fastest service to more than 600.
The carrier has begun installing 2Ku on its Boeing
737-800 and Airbus A319 aircraft and will have 35 planes equipped by year's
end, the airline said. Delta has about 800 aircraft in its fleet.
Gogo introduced its 2Ku technology late last year. Until
then, the company offered two slower WiFi technologies: air-to-ground, which
offers speeds up to 10 megabits per second but can only be used over land, and
Ku, an air-to-satellite system that offers speeds of between 3 and 8 megabits
per second but can be used over water.
Gogo says 2Ku offers 20 times the bandwidth of air-to-ground
technology, better enabling passengers to stream video. Because of 2Ku’s
antenna setup, the product also cuts fuel use by reducing aerodynamic drag.
Delta says some of its aircraft will offer enough
bandwidth for passengers to get live television on their own devices by the end
of the year.