27. In-flight Cellular with Fred Teichman of GoGo Wireless

05/04/22 • 28 min

Back in the day, air travel looked a lot different than it does today. People would dress to the nines, the isles were wider and the seating was roomier, the finest food would be brought to your seat even if you weren’t first-class and so much more. There truly was a higher standard for what made a flight a great experience. Fast forward to today, if you were to ask most modern travelers what makes a great flight, a majority would say that as long as there is no turbulence and they have enough WiFi to go around for everyone they are happy.

On the surface, it may appear that less passion and effort goes into making air travel better for the consumer, but when you take a peek behind the curtain, you will find amazing people and companies working hard to stay at the cutting edge of innovation and working around the clock to keep everyone connected, even in the sky. On today’s episode we want to introduce you to one of those amazing people.

Welcome back to another 5G Guys podcast! Join the conversation as we interview Senior Network Deployment Engineer, Fred Teichman. Fred has an incredible background in the Telecommunication industry with over 30-years of experience including things like being on the ground floor of microwave technology for long-distance telephones, worked in public safety with critical backhaul systems, worked on multiple technologies generations for cellular including 5G, Fred was an active tower climber for nine years and grew to senior levels of management with a full responsibility for profit and loss for many general contractors and so much more! All his experience led him to what he is doing now which is helping GoGo Wireless deploy their 5G network for business aviation nationwide.

Hit play to hear how Fred and GoGo are bringing the internet to the sky so planes fly smarter, airlines perform better and passengers travel happier. If you have ever wondered how WiFi on a plane really works, this episode is for you! Be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear Fred explain the technology behind in-flight WiFi and how it all connects on the ground.

You’ll also hear how the “work from anywhere” economy and the need to be more connected in the post-pandemic world has accelerated the industry and how even the busiest of professionals can stay on top of work from anywhere thanks to GoGo’s proprietary system. From 5G to satellite internet, GoGo’s goal is to transform the private aviation experience and enable executive travelers to take their work, life, and play with them, worldwide

Thanks again for listening and supporting our show. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

PS:

Are you new to the 5G and Telecommunication world? If so, we know it can get confused with all the acronyms like IoT, IP, kbps, LTE, 5G or anything else you’ve heard us say. That’s why we created an “Acronym Decoder Ring” that covers all the industry lingo you need to know. To go straight to the Acronym Decoder Ring and to find more ways to connect with us, scroll down to see all the links!

More Of What’s Inside:

How the past 30 years have been leading up to this technology
What GoGo is doing to deliver true 5G speeds
The cool reason why GoGo uses less towers
Insight on the frequency bands based on elevation
Dan’s personal experience with the GoGo network
A rundown of how in-flight WiFi Works
How to use GoGo on your next flight
How Fred has seen the industry change
Why the Business Aviation industry is booming
And Much More!

Sponsor Links:

Website: www.vertex-us.com

Gogo Links:

Video of site build: https://business.gogoair.com/videos/gogo-5g-antenna-tower-installation

5G buildout status: https://business.gogoair.com/infographics/2022/gogo-5g-network-deployment

Connect with us:

Acronym Decoder Ring:

https://5gguys.com/acronym-decoder-ring

Website:

Website: https://5gguys.com

Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5Gguys
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12515882
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5gGuys

Submit Your Ideas or Feedback:

https://5gguys.com/contact-2

Episode M...

Thanks again for listening and supporting our show. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

PS:

More Of What’s Inside:

How the past 30 years have been leading up to this technology
What GoGo is doing to deliver true 5G speeds
The cool reason why GoGo uses less towers
Insight on the frequency bands based on elevation
Dan’s personal experience with the GoGo network
A rundown of how in-flight WiFi Works
How to use GoGo on your next flight
How Fred has seen the industry change
Why the Business Aviation industry is booming
And Much More!

Sponsor Links:

Website: www.vertex-us.com

Gogo Links:

Video of site build: https://business.gogoair.com/videos/gogo-5g-antenna-tower-installation

5G buildout status: https://business.gogoair.com/infographics/2022/gogo-5g-network-deployment

Connect with us:

Acronym Decoder Ring:

https://5gguys.com/acronym-decoder-ring

Website:

Website: https://5gguys.com

Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5Gguys
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12515882
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5gGuys

Submit Your Ideas or Feedback:

https://5gguys.com/contact-2

Episode M...

Previous Episode

26. How Cellular Carriers Make Money

It’s safe to say that the smartphone revolution has grown past a trend and moved into a modern necessity. A survey done in 2014 stated that 47% of adults believed they couldn’t last a day without their cellphone. With advancements in technology and the new “work from anywhere” economy, we can only imagine how much that number has grown today.

Welcome back to another 5G Guys podcast! Join the conversation as we follow the money trail in the Cellular Carrier industry and explain the fundamentals they use to keep our world connected. Join the conversation as we talk about the excitement of when cellular technology first came out, the history of cellular carriers, and what has changed throughout the years.

Believe it or not, cellular service was unavailable at a consumer level when the technology first came out. It was considered either a luxury or a necessary tool for business, but it was only a matter of time before they brought it to the masses. Listen in as we talk about how the industry grew, the carriers that emerged with more reliable and affordable networks, and the technology that changed the entire course of cellular’s history.

Hit play to learn how legacy cell carriers kept up with demand as companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple began leveraging wireless technology to serve a bigger market and scale beyond anyone's expectations.

Carriers know they hold the key infrastructure that the average worker or company needs to succeed in 2022. That’s why they are working nearly 24/7 to keep us all connected no matter what happens in the world. Be sure to listen to the end to hear our predictions on the future of the industry and our beliefs about how more reliable and affordable networks for everyone could soon be a reality.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with a friend or tech-lover in your life!

For more free resources or to submit questions and topic ideas, check out the links below!

More Of What’s Inside:

Why Wayne will always have two phones
How cellular changed the workforce in the United States
The first cellphone vs. modern smartphones
What cellular communication was originally made for
How the FCC brought cellular to the consumer level
Why companies started providing “nationwide” service
When Apple had an exclusive deal with AT&T
Why switching carriers is so much easier today than in the past
The five companies that leveraged wireless and how it paid off
How the role of carriers has changed today
And Much More!

Sponsor Links:

Website: www.vertex-us.com

Connect with us:

Website:

Website: https://5gguys.com

Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5Gguys
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12515882
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5gGuys

Submit Your Ideas or Feedback:

https://5gguys.com/contact-2

Episode Minute By Minute:

0:02 - Does your business need wireless help? Check this out!
0:59 - Welcome back! Here’s what we cover today
1:49 - Wayne’s funny story about early day cell phone bills
4:47 - How the industry made money in the early days
6:19 - The start of cellular communication
9:21 - When the cellular industry really started taking off
11:22 - Apple’s iPhone and how it changed the game
14:29 - The big race between carriers
16:08 - How the “Fab Five” revolutionized wireless
19:10 - The pressure carriers face in 2022
23:54 - How competition benefits the consumer
26:47 - Why big tech should work together
27:42 - Closing thoughts and how to connect with us

Next Episode

28. MVNO: Mobile Virtual Network Operators 101 - How Boost, Metro, and Other Alternative Carriers Work

Listen to this episode to get the skinny on what an MVNO is and what that means to you.

We think it’s safe to say that Americans love their streaming and online entertainment. According to NPD, the average U.S. smartphone user now consumes a total of 31.4 GB of data on a monthly basis. That’s up fully 25% from a year prior. These numbers are clearly staggering and only seem to be on the rise as each year passes. However, they don’t speak for all U.S. citizens and people around the world who are in need of alternative smartphone coverage.

Welcome back to another episode of the 5G Guys! Or maybe more accurately, 5G Guy! It’s just me, Dan here today as my co-host Wayne travels internationally. I thought a solo-cast would be a great opportunity to take a deep dive into the topic of M.V.N.O. and why they could be a great carrier option for you and your family if you don’t need an unlimited data plan.

What does M.V.N.O stand for?

M: Mobile

V: Virtual

N: Network

O: Operators

What's a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)? If you're not buying your cellular phone service from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon, you're probably buying service from an MVNO, which has several implications for knowing whose network you're actually using. By the end of the episode, you’ll hear the history of how MVNO started, how they grew to a $16 Billion dollar industry, how these companies have made more affordable options for many across the globe, and more.

If you remember the days when changing carriers was a total nightmare, and you had to get a new number, you’ll be interested to hear how the F.C.C. played a role in solving that problem for the consumer and how they paved the road for this innovation of cell provider.

You’ll also hear how these M.V.N.O. providers are actually connected with “The Big 3” carriers and how they use the same tech to keep everyone connected at different rates and speeds. We hope you enjoy this one “101” level overview! If you have an M.V.N.O. provider and want to know more about what carrier you may be connected to, see the links below!

More Of What’s Inside: