Quick stat: In 2019, video accounted for over 60% of the world’s total internet data consumption.
10 years ago, Gogo launched the ATG 5000 connectivity system. At the time, it was state-of-the-art, and to this day it continues to connect thousands of business aviation flights all across the U.S. But at what point does even great technology begin to lose its edge? When is it time to accept that the world around you has changed enough to warrant a change in your technology?
In this blog, we’ll take a look at the past 10 years – from 2010 to 2020 – to explore how the world of Wi-Fi has altered dramatically. You’ll see that everything about people’s online lifestyle is faster, more visual, more “right now” and more data intensive.
Case in point: We don’t read the paper; we watch it. We don’t carry DVDs or a music player; we binge stream episodes and playlists. We don’t just “call in” to meetings, we join with a full video and audio experience. Even work projects are cloud stored and sometimes entirely inaccessible when you’re not connected.
And this reality is the same in the air as it is on the ground. In fact, for business aviation, the need for newer technology is amplified because the stakes are higher for every hour of an executive’s time.
With that said, here’s a quick “then and now” look at the world of Wi-Fi.
Quick stat: Explosive growth of monthly mobile data usage
People love their mobile phones. That was true in 2010 and remains true 10 years later. What's different, though, is how people are using their phones. Then it was calls, basic email, texting and calendars. Now we use our phones like mini-laptops and pro-caliber photo and studios. All of which generates a lot of data, which we then send to social sites and cloud storage.
2010
2020
Quick stat: Amazon pushes Prime
Look beyond the obvious redesigns and buzz words like "mobile friendly" and you'll see that nearly all modern websites cater to our desire for rich experiences: from live sports and news, to video reports over written articles.
2010
2020
Quick stat: Video conferencing connects a remote world
Whether it's the booming freelance industry or business as usual for executive travelers, technology is finally enabling people to truly be remote yet stay in touch like they're still in the office. But behind the scenes, it takes a lot of high-speed connections and data to make that possible.
2010
2020
Quick stat: Streaming music wants to be a billionaire
It'll come as no surprise that the world -- both in the air and on the ground -- has gone fully digital in how we want to spend our fun time. And it goes without saying that a few hours of streaming uses up tons more data than reading a paperback.
2010
2020
Added stat: How much data does online gaming use?
When it comes to gaming, there's a wide range of gaming types that will consume vastly different amounts of internet data usage. But one thing is certain, gaming gobbles up a lot of data.
Online gaming can use 3MB - 300MB/hour:
Well, there it is. A clear case that Wi-Fi users – inflight as well as on the ground – are connecting to their personal and professional worlds in vastly different ways than they did just 10 years ago.
For business aviation operators, this then begs the question: If my ATG system doesn’t have enough firepower to handle modern Wi-Fi, what does?
The answer is already here. Discover Gogo’s AVANCE L5 connectivity system and see how you can upgrade to aviation’s fastest, smartest, most personal inflight internet and entertainment. Everyone on board will thank you.
