European Union Allows Mobile Phone Usage During Flights

Brussels, Belgium (AHN)-The 27-member European Union (EU) announced on Monday that in-flight mobile phone usage is safe.

The use of mobile phones is prohibited on airplanes since its signal interferes with in-flight communication and navigation systems. I

But the EU-proposed system is said to be safe. It will involves a low-power base station called 'pico cell' installed on all commercial airlines, which would communicate with passengers' mobile handsets. This base station would route calls to a satellite, which would then forward the phone traffic on to individual mobile networks on the ground.

A network control unit on the plane is used to ensure that mobiles in the plane do not connect to any base stations on the ground. It blocks the signal from the ground so that phones cannot connect and remain in an idle state. This will prevent the phone signals interfering with the plane's systems.

Under the European regulators-approved plan, cell phone users could make and receive calls through an onboard base station. For safety reasons however, they will only be allowed to turn their phones on after the plane reaches 3,000 feet, the altitude when other electronic devices such as portable music players and laptops are allowed as well.

Mobile phone service will still not be available during takeoff, landing or during turbulence. The captain and crew has the option to shut down the system if and when necessary.

The EU worked with the Civil Aviation Administration in the United Kingdom and the European Aviation Safety Agency to ensure that aircraft safety and passenger welfare issues are resolved before the new system can be used. The equipment that airlines will utilize must be approved first by the European Aviation Safety Agency to ensure the onboard cellular network will not conflict with other in-flight systems.