Mobile Industry Review » aircraft

Air New Zealand goes for in-flight SMS

Julia — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:04:32 +0000

Europe gave the thumbs up for mobile usage on planes, after Emirates, Continental Airlines and Qantas decided to introduce the service. Now, it seems, New Zealand is next in line.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the Kiwi’s national carrier is planning to introduce an in-flight texting service.

Meanwhile, several reports have highlighted that despite European and antipodean enthusiasm for in-flight SMS, Asia and the US aren’t planning to introduce any mile-high connectivity any time soon. I can’t help but think it’s a bit of a miss opportunity – surely long haul flights are where the boredom sets in and the texting fingers start getting itchy?

Europe give go-ahead for mobiles on planes

Julia — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:34:21 +0000

After Ofcom decided to allow mobiles on planes last month, the EC said it’s paving the way for more of the same from other European Union member states.

The era of pan-European in-flight mobility will be ushered in by two measures announced by the EC this week: a “Commission Recommendation for a harmonised approach on licensing which will promote mutual recognition between national authorisations for mobile communications services on aircraft” and “a Commission Decision which sets out harmonised technical parameters of onboard equipment for in-flight mobile phone use throughout the EU that will allow member states to recognise each other’s licences for mobile communications on board aircraft without risk to mobile networks on the ground”. The EC will also make sure safety concerns are dealt with by the appropriate bodies.

Interestingly, after the EC has pushed so hard on cutting roaming charges within Europe, it’s remaining mum on how to regulate the cost of connectivity on planes, saying the market is too young for it to interfere and it will be up to the service provider to set pricing. It sounds like we could be in for some expensive calls and texts up there.

Ofcom gives green light to mobiles on UK planes

Julia — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:37:03 +0000

If you’ve been reading the news about Emirates and Qantas’ launches of in-flight mobile access and wondering when such mile-high talk and text would be coming to the UK, Ofcom has the answer.

The regulator has announced that it will permit mobiles in aircraft as long as the airline has the backing of either the European Aviation Safety Agency or the Civil Aviation Authority. Ofcom gives the proviso that phones must still be switched off on take off and landing and connectivity can only be switched on once the plane reached 3,000 metres.

Initially, airlines will be able to offer GSM and “if the service is successful it could be extended to 3G and other services in future”, Ofcom says. Is this the death of work downtime on planes as we know it? And how long before there’s an air-rage incident because someone couldn’t keep their voice down in-flight?