Weblog: The disturbing idea of airborne phone calls

Passengers shouting: “Hello! I’m on the plane!” could soon join cramped legroom and bad food on the list of in-flight annoyances as airlines moved closer yesterday to allowing the use of mobile phones on board.

The communications regulator, Ofcom, gave the all-clear for British aircraft to install systems that will allow passengers to make calls and send texts, destroying one of the last refuges from the mobile phone.

The ruling means that British airlines can apply for the wavelengths needed to make calls in the air. On-board base stations, or picocells, which would be switched on at a height of 10,000ft (3,000m), will allow licensed aircraft to link up with mobile operators via satellite. Passengers would pay a roaming rate and would be billed by their phone companies as normal. Passengers would not be allowed to use their phones during take-off and landing. The airlines BMI and Ryanair, which plan to install the technology, welcomed the move. Ryanair has linked up with the Irish service provider OnAir to test the technology on 20 of its aircraft. It said that it hoped to offer the service this summer, while Bmi said that it was “keen to see all regulatory hurdles removed as soon as practically possible”. A couple of obstacles do remain. Other European regulators must still consent to the plan, but Ryanair said that the majority had agreed. In addition, the European Aviation Safety Agency has to approve in-flight equipment for the service. The Civil Aviation Authority would then need to lay down rules governing the use of mobiles in the air.

Although many aircraft already offer on-board phone services at about £5 a minute, passengers in Europe are banned from using their own hand-sets. Initially they would be able to use their phones only in European air-space, but with Emirates introducing its own in-air mobile service last week and futher interest in the US, industry sources expect reciprocal agreements between countries to follow.

It is uncertain whether customers will be prepared to pay premium prices to make calls at 30,000ft. The cost is expected to be substantial as airlines, service providers, satellite providers and on-ground networks will all want a share of the revenue.

David Tansley, telecoms partner at Deloitte, said: “The likely charges and distribution of revenue across the various involved parties is unclear - it’s not certain who the winners will be. The losers will be passengers who find themselves seated next to a ‘cost-no-object’ mobile user.”

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