- November 8, 2013 12:25pm EST
In-flight Internet provider Gogo today announced a new program that will allow passengers to send text messages and make phones calls while in the air.Gogo's new Text & Talk program leverages the company's Wi-Fi network and allows passengers to use their own smartphones to send messages and place calls via an app they download from the App Store or Google Play.
"Gogo Text & Talk is just one more way Gogo is keeping airline passengers connected to their lives on the ground," Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "While we see this as more of a text messaging product for commercial airlines in the United States, the phone functionality is something that some international air carriers and our business aviation customers are asking for."
Hopefully the service will indeed be more text than talk. Provided phones are put on silence or vibrate, text messages likely won't be too intrusive, but if behavior on commuter trains (and the rise of quiet cars) are any indication, many travelers likely won't take fellow passengers into consideration before settling in for a long conversation to pass the time.Gogo said Text & Talk doesn't require picocells, the small cellular stations that are often installed on planes to deliver similar services. Users can instead roam onto Gogo's in-flight Wi-Fi system as if they were roaming onto a land-based cellular network.
"The great part about this technology is that it doesn't require us to install anything new to an aircraft and we can bundle it with or without connectivity," ElDifrawi said. "We have already launched the service with some of our business aviation customers and we are talking with our commercial airline partners about launching the service for their passengers."
The app for business users went live on the App Store on Oct. 1. The consumer version does not yet appear to be live in either store.
According to Engadget, users will need to download the app and register a phone number with the app before takeoff.
Gogo did not mention pricing in its announcement. Right now, users can purchase a 24-hour Wi-Fi service pass for $14, a $49.95 monthly Gogo Unlimited pass for all Gogo flights, or a $39.95 monthly pass for a specific airline.
Airlines that use Gogo include AirTran, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, United, US Airways, and Virgin America.
Earlier this week, Gogo teamed up with location-sharing app Glympse to enable Wi-Fi users to share their location as they fly. Use the Glympse app or point your browser to inflight.glympse.com while in the air, enter a recipient's phone number, and share where you are.
"The person receiving the Glympse message from the Gogo-enabled flight can view the plane's current movement and status, including speed and a continually updated arrival time," Glympse said. "After the Glympse is sent, users can power down their phones or laptops, and Glympse will continue to update their location throughout the duration of the flight."
The news, meanwhile, comes shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it was safe to use electronic devices during takeoff and landing. A number of airlines have now been approved to allow gadget use at all times, including Jet Blue, Delta, United, US Airways, and American Airlines.
