ATG is very popular recently, just read this article

ATG (Air To Ground): Utilizes mobile cellular technology to build air coverage base stations along the route to achieve direct communication between aircraft and ground network. It has short communication distance, high spectrum efficiency, small latency, large bandwidth and low cost. It can be used for high-bandwidth video and other business data transmission between aircraft and the ground.

The airborne communication system includes airborne antennas, airborne CPE (terminals) and airborne WiFi APs. The airborne CPE system accesses the ground 5G NR base station to provide wireless backhaul for the onboard WiFi AP system, allowing WIFI users in the cabin to access broadband Internet and supporting data transmission in the cabin to the ground.

The OAM of gNB and CPE is located in the operation center of the core network. The UME (network management system) and DMS (device management system) software respectively implement the operation and management of gNB and CPE, including remote configuration, software management, firmware update, equipment diagnosis and detection, statistical reporting, etc.


5G ATG has the characteristics of high spectrum efficiency, large bandwidth, low latency, shorter coverage distance than satellite solutions, and low cost. The key technical points of the system are as follows:

The ground network and the air ATG network use the same frequency technology to achieve effective spectrum reuse.

Self-developed aviation-grade CPE, chips, and core algorithms solve the Doppler frequency deviation under high-speed movement, support ultra-high-speed flight of 1200km/hour and ultra-wide coverage radius of more than 200km.

5G ATG uses a maximum bandwidth of 100M, with a maximum downlink rate of hundreds of megabits.

Using Massive-MIMO technology, each aircraft has a beaming exclusive, and multiple aircraft are connected to a single cell.

The airborne antenna cooperates with the ground customized AAU to achieve intelligent beam bidirectional tracking.

ATG business level includes TOB+TOC: airline business + passenger business

TOB: remote assistance to crew data transmission, real-time communication between cabin and ground, real-time monitoring of aircraft health data, etc.

TOC: Passengers can access the Internet, work, entertain, shop, etc. on board, and can also receive remote medical treatment.

In the future, ATG technology will deeply integrate 5G, AI and satellite communications, and upgrade from a single "on-board Internet access" to an infrastructure that supports the entire industry chain of smart aviation. Its core value lies in:

Economy: more than 50% lower cost than satellite communications;

Reliability: multi-link redundancy guarantees the transmission of critical flight data;

Ecosystem expansion: giving birth to new business models such as aviation big data and air e-commerce.

For the aviation industry, ATG is not only a technology upgrade, but also a strategic tool to reshape passenger experience and improve operational efficiency.