European Commission decides to make mobile communications available on aircraft

When flying on an airplane, you will be asked to put your smartphone or PC into airplane mode before takeoff, and you will only be able to use the Internet on board if the aircraft in flight provides Wi-Fi service. Recently, the European Commission has announced that it will designate specific frequency bands for the use of mobile phones on board aircraft, enabling the widespread deployment of 5G services on aircraft.

5G on planes, Wi-Fi on the road – Commission decision opens up new opportunities for innovation | Shaping Europe's digital future

EU Opens Up 5G on Planes, Making In-Flights Calls More Likely - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-24/eu-opens-up-5g-on-planes-making-in-flights-calls-more-likely

Bye-bye airplane mode: EU allows smartphones during flights
https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/327229/bye-bye-airplane-mode-eu-allows-smartphones-during-flights

The European Commission's decision means that passengers on flights within the EU will be able to use the same telephone and internet connections as 5G-based networks on the ground.

The mechanism is similar to in-flight Wi-Fi, as it connects to a mobile network on the ground via a satellite network via a micro base station / pico cell installed on the aircraft. Previously, in order to connect your smartphone to a network while on a flight, you had to put it in airplane mode and then connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi service, but this will eliminate that hassle.

Apart from this European Commission decision, from 2023 SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, will begin providing Starlink Aviation, a satellite network service for aircraft.

``Starlink Aviation'' that makes satellite internet available in aircraft will start in 2023, with a maximum speed of 350 Mbps, ``the same experience as accessing the internet at home'' Elon Musk boasts - GIGAZINE

In 2020, the US Federal Communications Commission scrapped a plan to allow in-flight voice and data communications services using mobile radio frequencies, citing strong opposition for safety and national security reasons. Masu.