Europe to Test In-Flight Cell Phone Use

While the rest of the world is slowly able to use cell phones on air planes, the US, and Canada are still having to switch them off.

TAP Air Portugal and British carrier BMI will be conducting a trial of cell phone use on domestic flights in Europe, utilizing technology from OnAir.

OnAir, a joint venture of Airbus and Netherlands-based technology company SITA Information Networking Computing, uses pico cell technology similar to that used by QUALCOMM and Boeing in their test flights. The technology creates a cellular base station within the aircraft itself, allowing the mobile handsets to operate at a lower power, and thus reducing the risk of interfering with the on board navigation systems.

The trial will take place over two separate three month periods, and will allow OnAir to assess the service before a general release in 2007. Residence of the United States should not get too excited though, as the release is for everywhere in the world except for North America.

Approval for use of OnAir’s system in the United States is expected to take longer than other parts of the world.

September 21st, 2005 Posted by David in News at 11:33 am Comment Now! »
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