I’m on a plane: EU sets standard for pan-European mobile calls in the air

“Pan-European telecom services, such as in-flight mobile telephony, need a regulatory one-stop shop to operate throughout Europe,” said Viviane Reding, the EU's Telecoms Commissioner, announcing the new measures will harmonise the technical and licensing requirements for the use of mobile phones on board aircraft. “Now we expect operators to be transparent and innovative in their price offerings,” she said.

Reding also called on airlines and operators “to create the right conditions on board aircraft to ensure that those who want to use in-flight communication services do not disturb other passengers.”

Passengers’ phones will be linked to an onboard cellular network connected to the ground via satellite. The system will prevent phones from connecting directly to mobile networks on the ground, ensuring that transmission power is kept low enough for mobiles to be used without affecting the safety of aircraft equipment, or the normal operation of terrestrial mobile networks.

Harmonising the technical requirements means that national licences granted to individual airlines by the Member State in which they are registered will be recognised throughout the EU. An aircraft registered in France or Spain will be able to offer mobile communication services when flying over Germany or Hungary, without additional licenses.

Following testing of in-flight mobile communication services in some countries in France and Australia, a number of telecom operators and airlines are planning to launch a service in 2008.

OFCOM, the UK telecoms regulator, announced on 26 March that it will allow airlines to offer mobile communications on board aircraft in line with the common European approach.