5G on board? Brussels wants to end airplane mode for mobile phones on flights

Brussels wants to end airplane mode for mobile phones on flights. And that airlines can provide 5G technology on their planes alongside previous generations of mobile technology. To this end, the European Commission has updated the implementation decision on the spectrum of mobile communications in aircraft, defining certain frequencies for 5G technology in flight.

In this way, Brussels opens the door so that EU passengers, if allowed by airlines, can use mobile phones to their full potential and features, as in the case of the 5G mobile network on the ground.

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

Since 2008, the Commission has reserved certain frequencies for mobile communications on aircraft, allowing airlines to provide messaging, phone calls and data services to passengers flying within the EU.

Thus, the recent update of the Commission on mobile communications in aircraft paves the way for the widespread deployment of 5G services: the service is provided in the aircraft cabin using special network equipment, the so-called spear cell, To connect users and route calls, text messages and data, usually via a satellite network, between an aircraft and a terrestrial mobile network.

In 2020, the US Federal Communications Commission scrapped plans to allow in-flight voice and data services on mobile wireless frequencies, citing strong opposition, including from pilots and flight attendants for safety reasons. Remember Bloomberg.

Metaverse on the way

The European Commission also amended the implementing decision on the 5 GHz frequency band, making Wi-Fi bands available in road transport, such as cars and buses.

This modification decision sets the stage for innovation in the automotive industry and potentially for metaverse applications.

According to the regulatory change introduced by the European Commission, Member States will make the 5 GHz frequency bands available for use by road vehicles as soon as possible and no later than 30 June 2023.