The European Commission has adopted new rules that allow the latest wireless communication technology to be used by passengers on board aircraft flying over the European Union.
This means that from now onwards, spectrum for 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE) communications may be used above an altitude of 3,000 metres. Until now, only 2G (GSM) has been permissible on board aircraft flying in the EU, which is impractical for sending large amounts of data (for example sending large attachments, downloading e-books, watching video).
The Commission said this decision creates the possibility for airlines – rather than a right for passengers – to allow use of smartphones and tablets during flights. But, in order for this service to work, airlines must install specific hardware on board each concerned aircraft. Therefore it is up to airlines operating in the EU to decide whether to allow passengers to use 3G and 4G services during their flights. Industry surveys indicate SMS and e-mail are of greater interest to passengers than voice during flights.
If airlines take advantage of the new possibilities, passengers will have access to better internet services when their aircraft is flying above 3,000 metres, meaning they will be able to surf social networks or send e-mails with attachments.
The European Aviation Safety Authority will issue safety guidance on the matter.
The new rules are based on studies which the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations has made for the European Commission. Mobile communications on board aircraft is a fast-growing industry, with data traffic increasing by over 300 per cent between 2011 and 2012.
It is identical to normal mobile roaming in that passengers are billed through their service provider. The tariffs applied usually correspond to ‘roaming: rest of the world’ prices. Wi-Fi is also used for these communication services but is not subject to specific rules because its low power does not pose interference risk with ground-based radio services.
Mobile communications on board aircraft does not cover the communication between the aircraft and the ground which is currently provided by satellite-based systems. New satellites should allow 10 times greater capacity than what is available today.
Some European stakeholders are working on introducing a new ‘Direct air to ground’ (DA2G) broadband technology, which would bypass satellites, the commission said.