All aboard Gogo's private jet to test new text, talk service (photos)

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  • All aboard Gogo One, the company's private plane

    All aboard Gogo One, the company's private plane

    ZDNet headed to Newark International Airport to check out Gogo's latest service: talking and texting in the skies, as though you were on the ground. We boarded Gogo's private plane to test the service out at 30,000 feet.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Aircraft air-to-ground antenna

    Aircraft air-to-ground antenna

    Under the nose of the plane you can see two antennas. These are to communicate with ground-based antennas that broadcast signal across America. Gogo has more than 200 antennas across the country.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Gogo One, the company's test plane

    Gogo One, the company's test plane

    We boarded the flight early in the morning, armed with our smartphones, ready to test out the service, which is pegged for an early 2014 launch. Texting and talking requires Wi-Fi access, so you can't keep a conversation going gate-to-gate, so even with recent changes to the aviation rules. You still have to switch your device to "airplane mode" until you're at 10,000 feet.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Inside the main cabin

    Inside the main cabin

    The plane itself was plush but small. But there was no need to wait in line at the TSA checkpoint. Because it's a private flight, there was no security. We even got to poke our heads into the cockpit -- although, not while they were flying.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Takeoff from Newark International Airport

    Takeoff from Newark International Airport

    The flight lasted about an hour, and soared as high as 30,000 feet to test the new service. At that altitude, we're in the same territory as commercial trans-America and trans-Atlantic flights.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • No Wi-Fi until we're at 10,000 feet

    No Wi-Fi until we're at 10,000 feet

    Because of airline rules, we weren't able to get access to Wi-Fi until 10,000 feet. Once the Gogo wireless networks are switched on, you can connect your Android device or iPhone to the simulated cellular service, enabling texting and talking between devices in the air as well as on the ground.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Gogo engineer testing Wi-Fi service

    Gogo engineer testing Wi-Fi service

    Here we have Gogo engineer Ron Barczak testing the network once we reach altitude at which the wireless network can be switched on. In his testing, he's able to tweak the settings to ensure the best connectivity during the flight.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Hitting 10,000 feet and climbing

    Hitting 10,000 feet and climbing

    Here you can see New Jersey's industrial landscape as we continued to climb to cruising altitude.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Testing out the texting service

    Testing out the texting service

    Although the app itself is still in "beta" development, its functionality is simple. Voice calls were tricky, but are much at the mercy of the plane's Wi-Fi network. Text messages were sent and received instantly.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • And it works!

    And it works!

    By utilizing Gogo's air-to-ground connectivity, calls and texts back on Earth are now routed through the aircraft's wireless network rather than in-flight cell towers, otherwise known as "picocells."

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Gogo engineer's testing server station

    Gogo engineer's testing server station

    Barczak showed us around the testing station, where numerous boxes and servers are stacked up. These racks enable the air-to-ground connectivity. The in-flight technology company is currently experimenting with various boxes of different designs.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Racks of servers as part of Gogo's test plane

    Racks of servers as part of Gogo's test plane

    Up close, you can see these servers take up only a little space in the grand scheme of things. On commercial airlines, there are 6 access points throughout the plane.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

  • Commercial aircraft will just have one of these boxes...

    Commercial aircraft will just have one of these boxes...

    But the newer, latest-generation boxes are a little bigger than a home router. The actual installation is an "overnight" process, according to Barczak, and takes up very little space.

    Photo by: Zack Whittaker/CBS Interactive

    Caption by: Zack Whittaker

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Testing out the texting service

Although the app itself is still in "beta" development, its functionality is simple. Voice calls were tricky, but are much at the mercy of the plane's Wi-Fi network. Text messages were sent and received instantly.

Caption by: Zack Whittaker

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