Disqus
Widespread use of mobile phones on passenger aircraft moved a step closer following a ruling by communications regulator Ofcom. It said radio equipment for mobile communications on aircraft (MCA) would be licensed under the 2006 Wireless Telegraphy Act and that licenses would be issued to UK aircraft operators on request. But Ofcom added that EU regulators would have to approve any system as would the European Aviation Safety Agency and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Of course, this is a very contentious issue – my thoughts lie with the policing of it though – surely the technical implications (i.e. does it affect the plane’s systems) are relatively easy to define and reach conclusion on – but what about getting people to follow the strictures?
I would imagine that people won’t be able to call during take-off or landing, and what about how loud they are talking? There are already numerous potential issues around passengers who are behaving inappropriately, but can you imagine trying to get a businessmen who is talking at 200 db on his Blackberry to end the call? Good luck with that one!
Ofcom is also bearing consideration to the cost of such services – since any service will probably need to bounce calls off a satellite, it isn’t going to be cheap – as existing in-flight wired phone services have proven.
For right now, I would say watch this space – calls on flights are pretty much inevitable (there is so much untapped revenue to be made for starters), but how this plays out is going to be very interesting…
[Via: The Press Association/Google]
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
