Passengers use Wi-Fi while airborne on the SmartSky network. Photo: SmartSky Networks.

SmartSky Networks has initiated deployment of its airborne 4G LTE-based Air-to-Ground (ATG) network. Using 60 MHz of spectrum and beamforming technology, the network will provide more than 10 times the typical speed and capacity of the current industry standard ATG network, and at a lower cost per bit, the company stated.

SmartSky recently announced that its $170 million Series B funding round jump-started the long lead-time implementation processes for roll-out of the network. The company has updated its estimate to mid-2018 for completing coverage to support the network’s service launch, reflecting the additional time required for Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)-related software optimization and production of base station radios.

SmartSky has already established network data centers in Ashburn, Virginia and San Jose, California, and also secured commitments for high bandwidth backhaul resources.