Air Passengers Will Soon Be Allowed to Use Their Phones Without Airplane Mode

Soon, passengers flying within the European Union (EU), will be able to use their mobile phones without having to enable airplane mode.

The European Commission has decided that airlines can offer 5G technology aboard in addition to mobile data.

This means that passengers will not be able to use flight mode on their phones. However, details about how it will work are still unknown.

These changes will allow travelers to make calls, send texts and stream videos.

Why must passengers enable airplane mode when flying?

EU air passengers are asked to disable their mobile phones and enable flight mode during the entire journey.

It is because mobile data has been used in flight communications for a long time, according to Dai Whittingham (CEO of the UK Flight Safety Committee), to the BBC.

"There was a concern they could interfere with automatic flight control systems," he said. "What has been found with experience is the risk of interference is very small."

Concerns have been raised in the US about how 5G frequencies could affect flight systems, and alter altitude measurements.

Whittingham said that this is not an issue in the UK or EU.

"There is much less prospect of interference," he said. "We have a different set of frequencies for 5G, and there are lower power settings than those that have been allowed in the US.”

"The traveling public wants 5G,” Whittingham added. “The regulators will open up that possibility, but there will be steps that will be taken to ensure that whatever they do is safe."

When will passengers on an airline be able to make calls to the EU?

Airlines will soon be able to allow passengers to use their mobile phones onboard flights, thanks to the approval of the European Commission.

The deadline for 5G technology to be used on aircraft by member states is June 30, 2023.

Air passengers will now be able to stream music and videos, make calls, and access apps on their flights next year.

“5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies,” Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said in a statement.

"The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity," he said.

Airlines will have high-speed internet access with 5G frequencies. This would enable passengers to download movies in just a few minutes.

Are flight passengers willing to use their mobile phones while onboard?

The plan was hailed as a major step forward in air travel but not everyone is pleased.

“Given the way people behave with their phones on all other public transport this is depressing news,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“Yet another reason to hate flying. Imagine being stuck in a seat next to somebody on their phone for hours,” said another.

“There isn't even a plan for a quiet carriage!”

 

Source: euronews.com