Network company Apcela says it has completed upgrades to the former SmartSky Networks air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity system and is supporting customers.
SmartSky ceased operations in August 2024, citing an inability to obtain financing for an ATG broadband network it had been developing since 2011. Apcela, a designer and manager of software-defined networks based in Reston, Virginia, announced last October that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire the SmartSky network and says it closed the transaction earlier this year.
Since acquiring the network, Apcela has completed upgrades of the network core and edge infrastructure across more than 300 sites, implementing the system on a fully encrypted, software-defined networking platform. The upgraded network is now supporting all customers of the former SmartSky, the company says, with new deployments by charter and corporate operators to be announced at NBAA-BACE.
“We’ve quietly been building momentum, staying under the radar screen through the first three quarters of 2025,” Apcela says. “We … launched a beta program for new customers which we closed out in August with new installs underway and a significant backlog of aircraft scheduled for installations in [the fourth quarter] and the first quarter of 2026.”
SmartSky had developed a network based on 4G LTE and 5G wireless technologies and 60 MHz of unlicensed spectrum to provide a low-latency bidirectional data link between the ground and aircraft. A SmartSky shipset for operators consisted of an aircraft base radio and two antennas mounted on the underside of the aircraft.
“This network upgrade represents a leap forward in our vision to deliver a home broadband-like experience for private jet travelers, along with the reliability, performance, and security corporate operators demand,” Apcela CEO Mark Casey said in a press release.
“By combining Apcela’s high-performance networking capabilities with the advanced ATG technologies acquired from SmartSky, we’re delivering the most advanced inflight connectivity experience available—fast, secure, and application-aware.”
SmartSky’s cessation of operations left Gogo as the dominant provider of inflight connectivity for business aircraft, with both ATG and satellite networks. Gogo plans to activate a new but delayed 5G ATG network by the end of the year. The company announced its intent to build the broadband network in May 2019, originally targeting its entry into service for 2021.
