The use of telephones during flights
Added on Tue February 21st, 2023
The European Commission has given a first OK for 5G connectivity during flight for both phone calls and high-speed data. The aircraft have to allocate 5G frequencies by the end of June.
European commissioner Therry Breton declared that the sky will no longer be a limit for both leisure and business travellers, with some estimates revealing that 40 per cent of passengers could use the call service just after take-off on short haul flights. A decision that was already rejected more than a decade ago by the US, not only because of the risk of friction and arguments among passengers, but also for safety fears related to 5G technology.
At low altitude, mobile phones will be able to lock onto ground antennas but at high altitude, all devices will be able to lock onto the pico-cell installed on aircraft.
Uncertainty remains about the power output of hundreds of devices connected all at once inside an aircraft fuselage, as airlines are upgrading their aircraft to improve altimeter sensitivity or add metal shielding to reduce 5G interference. In this matter, an extension of time limit has been requested to complete all upgrades by the end of 2023. The social reaction to this decision is not positive: some people says that it is so difficult to tolerate a passenger chatting non-stop on a train, not to mention on a plane, where mobility is even more reduced! Who knows whether Europe will follow the US example or will have to surrender to a society always in need of connection?
Share this news on: