UK planning to allow calls on aircraft
Ofcom, the UK Office of Communications has confirmed plans that they aim to allow cellular communications on board UK aircraft. The plans will have to first go through the Civil Aviation Authority, and then the scheme may ‘take off’ in planes around Europe. Unfortunately, plans haven’t been confirmed for those of you the other side of the Atlantic.
The calling will work by using an onboard base station, a unit which connects to a satellite and will be turned on above 3,000 feet, as to avoid interference with ground networks. The service will be charged at the users standard network rate, which should mean business and personal users can enjoy increased productivity on flights. For the others that want some peace and quiet: unlucky.
Read [Ofcom]
Verizon Airfone takes a nosedive
After 21 years and with implementation in over 1,000 planes, Verizon’s super-expensive convenient Airfone communication service is shutting down. The system will stay live in over 3,400 Government planes but will say goodbye to our friendly commercial sky’s. This seems appropriate with the advent of cellphones and other wireless communication being tested in flight. I believe that we are only a few more years away before Wi-Fi on planes as well as other wireless communication modes.
Read [NY Times]
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