Passengers On EU Flights Will Soon No Longer Have To Use Airplane Mode

Beginning next year, passengers on board flights in the European Union (EU) will no longer need to toggle their devices onto airplane mode, with the European Commission’s latest decision to allow travelers to use data while in the air. 

The recent ruling will see airlines in the region ditch the notoriously slow airplane Wi-Fi, which passengers are usually charged high fees for, and replace it with 5G technology instead. 

According to Gizmodo, the new regulations will allow passengers on flights to stream music and videos, use applications, and even make phone calls on airplanes that are equipped with 5G, just like on the ground. 

“5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies. The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity,” said Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market. 

The forthcoming service will tap on special network equipment, known as a ‘pico-cell’, to disseminate 5G connectivity within the cabin of an aircraft, allowing users to route calls, texts, and data from a ground-based network using satellites. 

This could see a major change for the aviation industry, which since 1991, has banned the use of cellular service due to “the threat of harmful interference from airborne use of cellular phones to terrestrial networks,” as per the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

While airplanes in the United States have been affected by 5G network concerns, it seems the UK and the EU don’t share the same fears. Dai Whittingham, Chief Executive of the UK Flight Safety Committee, told the BBC the risk of such interference was “very small.” 

The region uses a different set of frequencies as compared to those stateside, and at lower power settings, allowing regulators to open up the possibility of passengers accessing that connectivity while in the air, albeit steps “will be taken to ensure that whatever they do is safe.” 

EU state members will be required to make 5G technology available on airline services by June 30, 2023. 

[via Gizmodo and European Commission, cover image via Dimarik16 | Dreamstime.com]