EU To Allow 3G and 4G Connections On Planes

jfruh writes "In America we're celebrating the fact that we don't have to stow our Kindles during takeoff and landing anymore, but the EU is going a step further and not requiring passengers to switch their phones to "airplane" mode anymore. If you're on an airplane with a Network Control Unit that regulate cellular connections, you can text and make calls over standard 3G and 4G networks. You'll want to watch out for roaming charges, though, especially if you're on a flight crossing national borders."

Re:Only for business

[Grantbridge]

In the EU there are laws keeping roaming charges down. Often they are less than the cost to use your own phone in your own country!

Re:What's the point?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah I've been using my phone during take off and landing my ENTIRE life. I hide the electronic and the second the flight attendants sit down the device comes back out. I'm listening to music. What's the point of of all this hubbub? I can't even get a signal and if I leave my phone on. It will keep trying to find a signal and will run itself out of battery faster.

Another question that baffles me, how were the people on the 9/11 flights able to use their cell phones during flight? Yeah they have the in seat phones, but i still remember hearing people say, "Yeah they used their phones!" Fun fact that everyone seems to forget.

Getting a signal on the plane is not the problem, you have unobstructed line-of-sight to a shitload of cells. The problem is that you mess everything up for the people on the ground by communicating with so many cells...

Re:No.

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Some trains in Germany have "no cell phone" quiet zones. Maybe airlines could introduce them, as well?

But, given the current business models of airlines at the moment, they will charge extra for a quiet zone!

Re:I don't understand

[CWCheese]

That's the reasoning I was given by an off duty flight attendant who was flying standby in the seat next to me. She said that during the takeoff and landing segments, the crew would rather the passengers be alert and ready since those are the riskiest segments of the trip. And I'd agree, especially flying in the Rocky mountain states where the wind shear in the late afternoon - early evening timeframes makes any roller coaster seem dull. I couldn't care less about the numbskull in the next row yelling at his ex on the phone, except that he'd better not be an obstacle when we need to evac the aircraft.

Re:Cell towers

[jfalcon]

On old school 800mhz AMPS cell phones and at lower altitude this may be true. But today most cell towers are pointed at the ground hence why you don't get a carrier signal until you're approaching/leaving the runway. What happens today is that cell phones just burn power as the phone goes to full power trying to connect. Think of how many people leave their phones on in the luggage or pocket while flying. If a phone can bring down an airplane, don't you think you'd see mobile phone jails prior to boarding?

These systems work on the premise of noise generators that blot out the external signals and a new carrier is presented just above the noise level that commands mobile phones to idle their transmitters down. In fact, one might say this causes *less* interference as you don't have a bunch of phones blasting away RF energy inside the cabin.

Phoney issue

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Sat next to a guy once who taught jet pilots for a living. He had an awesome flight tracker running on his laptop.

Apparently rules against phones being on during flight isn't an FAA thing, it's an FCC thing. You pass from cell tower to cell tower so fast it confuses and stresses the system.

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