Gogo Urges Competition in Air-Ground Mobile Broadband Service Band

Gogo urged the FCC to allow for at least three licensees in the proposed air-ground mobile broadband service (AGMBS) band, said an ex parte filing on various meetings at the agency in docket 13-114. Dividing the 500 MHz band three or more ways would still give each licensee sufficient capacity to offer “robust service,” Gogo said. It urged the agency to adopt a five-year substantial service requirement “or, in the alternative, a seven-year requirement with an interim construction benchmark” as part of the rules. Gogo said it would comply with all applicable rules and directives from law enforcement on air safety. “Technical complexity, physical constraints and cost” mean most aircraft would be able to offer service from only one provider, Gogo conceded. “Nonetheless, AGMBS providers likely would compete on a periodic basis for contracts to provide service to those aircraft, and offering at least three 14 GHz licenses for auction -- with an aggregation limit of 250 MHz -- would help ensure a competitive inflight communications market.”