'Hello, I'm on the Plane!'

by Gary Parsons

It's the end of the day and you're heading back up north, the trains late and the buses are full. When you eventually get on-board, you find you're not the only one who feels the need to call home, letting loved-ones know that you're going to be an hour or two late.

Now, imagine that train or bus journey is going to last for 4 hours, well that's soon going to be the reality of your next plane journey to places such as Turkey thanks to a new service from OnAir.

Mobile phones were once banned on planes due to fears that they interfere with on-board navigation equipment. Infact, 20 incidents of on-board malfunctions linked to mobile phones occurred between January 2000 and August 2005. This problem was looked at by companies Arinc and Telenor back in September 2004 and were able to demonstrate that technical problems can be solved but regulations would need to catch up.

Now the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has given the go ahead for OnAir to implement their mobile service and has no more worries about safety. The first deployment of the service is due by the end of the year and will be launched by Air France and Ryan Air, then followed by other airlines. The service will cost around £1.50 per minute, a similar price to that charged by the majority of the networks if you're not on a roaming scheme.

This is great news for passengers, both travelling for business or for those heading off on their holidays. Before taking advantage of this service it's worth remembering to speak to your network about the many different mobile phone deals they have available, reducing the rate's you'll pay when making or receiving calls.

About the Author

Gary Parsons is a UK based writer with experience in the telecommunications industry