Whether you’re a pilot relying on real-time weather data or a high-net-worth passenger joining a video call mid-flight, performance matters when it comes to inflight connectivity. But what often stands between you and a seamless internet experience is something many people don’t fully understand: latency.

So, what it is latency, how does it affect your inflight internet, and what is Gogo doing to minimize its impact?

What is latency, really?

Latency is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to the internet and back. Think of it like sending a letter: the farther it travels, the longer it takes to get a response.

In the context of inflight connectivity, latency is measured in milliseconds (ms). A typical home broadband connection might have latency around 20-50ms. Inflight systems, depending on the technology used, can range from less than 100ms to over 600ms.

Why does Latency matter?

High latency doesn’t necessarily mean your connection is slow, but it can make it feel that way – especially for tasks that require real-time interaction.

Here’s how latency affects different applications:

• Email & Web Browsing: Minimal impact. These are tolerant of latency.
• Video Calls & Gaming: Highly sensitive. Delays cause lags and dropped connections.
• Real-Time Weather or EFB Updates: Pilots rely on quick response times to make inflight decisions.

In short, lower latency = more responsive, real-time internet experience. 

What causes latency in the sky?

Latency is influenced by a few key factors:

1. Satellite Distance

Satellite connectivity performance is heavily influenced by orbital altitude. Traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites orbit at approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth, enabling broad coverage with fewer satellites. However, the distance introduces higher latency, typically in the 500-600 millisecond range, which can impact time-sensitive applications like video conferencing or real-time cockpit data.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, on the other hand, operate much closer to Earth – between 300 – 1,200 miles – which allows them to deliver lower latency, often below 100 milliseconds. This makes LEO networks well-suited for latency-sensitive use cases, though they generally require a larger constellation of satellites and more dynamic connectivity management.

Both GEO and LEO networks offer distinct advantages, and the right choice depends on mission profile, coverage requirements, and application needs.

2. Network Hops & Ground Infrastructure

When data leaves the aircraft, it travels through a complex network of routing points or “hops” – including ground stations, internet exchanges, and service provider infrastructure – before reaching its final destination. Each hop introduces a small delay, and the more hops involved, the higher the total latency.

The location and efficiency of this ground infrastructure play a big role in performance. Gogo reduces these delays by optimizing routing paths, leveraging strategic partnerships with content delivery networks (CDNs), and designing our systems for seamless transitions, helping ensure a smoother, more responsive inflight internet experience.

When data leaves the aircraft, it travels through a complex network of routing points or “hops” – including ground stations, internet exchanges, and service provider infrastructure – before reaching its final destination. Each hop introduces a small delay, and the more hops involved, the higher the total latency.

The location and efficiency of this ground infrastructure play a big role in performance. Gogo reduces these delays by optimizing routing paths, leveraging strategic partnerships with content delivery networks (CDNs), and designing our systems for seamless transitions, helping ensure a smoother, more responsive inflight internet experience.

3. Onboard Equipment & Software

Inflight connectivity performance also depends heavily on the hardware installed on the aircraft, including antennas, modems, routers, and wireless access points. These components work together to process and transmit data efficiently, and the speed and quality of this equipment directly affect how quickly devices onboard can send and receive information.

Just as important is the software that manages the system. It handles traffic prioritization, bandwidth management, and data optimization to ensure a smooth, responsive connection.

How Gogo tackles latency

At Gogo, we design our inflight connectivity solutions with latency in mind – because we know performance matters at altitude.

Here’s how we minimize latency across our systems:

• Air-to-Ground (ATG) Network – Our ATG network leverages ground towers, not satellites, which means significantly lower latency. That’s ideal for traveling throughout the U.S. and real-time applications like cockpit apps or video calls.
• Global Broadband (Satellite-Based) – For long-hauls and routes outside the U.S., our global broadband solutions are optimized with intelligent routing, advanced modems, and software that reduce latency wherever possible.
• Multi-Network Flexibility – Our newest systems are designed for multi-orbit, multi-band compatibility. That means we can leverage multiple frequency bands and satellites in different orbital planes to ensure connectivity wherever and whenever it’s needed, optimized for both performance and reliability.
• Edge Caching & Acceleration – Gogo systems cache frequently accessed data onboard and use compression algorithms to speed up page loads and reduce perceived latency.

Why it matters for your flight

Whether you’re flying for business, pleasure, or managing flight operations, understanding latency helps set expectations – and guides better decisions when choosing an inflight connectivity solution.

At Gogo, we don’t just focus on download speeds. We engineer end-to-end performance, optimizing for both speed and latency to deliver a more reliable, responsive experience in the air.

Because at altitude, every millisecond counts.