In-flight mobile calls set for green light

The in-flight use of mobile phones by passengers on short-haul airlines in Europe is expected to be approved by telecoms regulators by the end of this year.

UK airline BMI has already signed up for trials of the satellite-based technology next year, along with Air France and Portugal's TAP.

The technology has been developed by OnAir, the joint venture between Airbus and airline industry IT body Sita, and the roaming charge for calls is likely to be around $2.30 to $2.50 per minute.

In Europe, where the mobile service will be launched first, OnAir has been working with pan-European communications regulatory body the Conférence Européenne des Postes et Télécommunications on a framework agreement to harmonise national telecoms regulatory authorisation for the service.

This would mean that regulatory approval for in-flight mobile phone use would be granted by the national body in the country where the aircraft is registered. Each country that aircraft flies over in Europe would then recognise that authorisation.

OnAir is also calling on the national regulators to exempt the service from spectrum licensing because the system will not interfere with mobile networks on the ground, as usage on planes will be restricted until the aircraft has reached a certain height.

Sonia Hill, manager of regulatory affairs at OnAir, said exemption from spectrum licensing would make it simpler to harmonise regulatory authorisation across Europe.

She said: "Regional co-operation avoids a huge amount of complexity."

Hill said the regulators have so far been supportive of the in-flight mobile service and that a Europe-wide framework agreement is expected to be approved by the end of this year, allowing for the launch of the first trial on Air France in February 2007.

The mobile service is targeting long-haul routes from 2008 and OnAir said it expects similar regulatory agreements to be adopted in Asia Pacific and the Gulf, with mutual recognition between the three regions.

In the US, the Federal Communications Commission currently has an outright ban on the use of mobile phones on aircraft but has announced it will review that decision.