Gogo Acquires Airfone

Gogo announced the acquisition of Airfone, the in-flight phone service, from LiveTV.

The deal will give Gogo the 1 MHz spectrum license previously held by LiveTV. Gogo will use the new spectrum license in addition to its 3 MHz license to provide better service for its air-to-ground network.

Gogo will also take control of Airfone’s entire network infrastructure, as well as its back office operations. The purchase is subject to FCC approval, and is currently under review.

Gogo currently offers in-flight Internet access on over 1,500 commercial aircraft including flights on AirTran, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, and Virgin America.  LiveTV is a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue.  In 2008, American Airlines was the first airline to deploy the Gogo service