Air travelers will be able to make calls on their phones and connect to the Internet on airplanes until the summer of 2023 — from the beginning of July, they will no longer have to switch their phones to flight mode. However, for now, the innovation will work only in the sky above Europe.
Next summer, the EU will provide 5G to participating countries, and therefore to air carriers, which will connect to special picocell technology and provide the network on their flights. The European Union announced this at the end of November.
As a reminder, all airlines now insist that phones and tablets be switched to flight mode before departure. According to experts, this is because phone signals can be interrupted by the aircraft’s alarm system, as well as by the pilots’ communication with ground personnel. Because of this, contact with the outside world is interrupted for travelers on the plane.
But times are changing. At the end of November, the European Union announced that airlines will now be allowed to provide 5G on flights. This will mean that airplane mode is no longer a mandatory requirement for tourists in the skies within the EU, and they can use their smartphones without restrictions during the flight.
Reference: 5G is the fifth generation of mobile communications based on telecommunications standards that follow the existing 4G/IMT-Advanced standards. A wireless radio frequency transmits information through the air.
The deadline for EU countries to provide such 5G frequencies for aircraft is also fast approaching. They will need to do this by June 30, 2023. According to Lonely Planet, Picocell technology will connect airplanes to a mobile network on the ground via satellite. When the equipment is installed on flights, passengers can use their phones using mobile data: stream and download videos, and read DIP news… However, it remains to be seen whether the connection service will be free for passengers.
Note that Wi-Fi is now available on many European flights at a premium price. For example, the British carrier British Airways charges 2 pounds.
The problem also arises for travelers who do not have free roaming covered by their provider. As flights change from one country to another, additional international roaming charges may apply.
Another disadvantage of this idea is that some vacationers may spend the entire flight in noisy and annoying conversations, while others would like to sleep. Or children may watch loud programs that will ring in their ears if they don’t use headphones. In addition, passengers even choose to shoot and post videos on TikTok while in the air.