EU to allow cell phone service on planes
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - April 7, 2008 But don't expect to use your phone on a U.S. flight anytime
soon.
The decision Monday by the European Union makes the 27-nation
bloc the first region in the world to scrap bans on the use of cell
phones in the sky. The EU insists the change will not compromise
safety.
Cell phone calls will be connected through an onboard base
station - think of a miniature cell phone tower - linked to a
satellite and then to ground networks. A flight's captain will have
the power to turn off service anytime.
Phone service will be blocked during takeoff and landing, EU
spokesman Martin Selmayr said. That means using your cell phone
will fall under roughly the same restrictions as using your laptop
or iPod.
EU officials also say the system has been thoroughly tested.
They say the calls will not interfere with flight navigation and
will have additional safeguard to protect against terrorism.
Meanwhile, travelers are already expressing concern about
another kind of disruption - noisy passengers. The friendly skies
are one of the last refuges against shrill ringtones and yapping
callers.
"If they use a mobile phone on long distance flights, it would
be an inconvenience, especially at night," said Stein Smulders of
Halle, Belgium, who commutes by train.
In the United States, cell phone use on flights is banned by two
regulatory agencies. Both said Monday they had no plans to change
their rules.
Alison Duquette, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation
Administration, said the agency had a concern that the phones could
interfere with planes' electronic equipment.
"The bottom line for us is that the FAA has no plans to allow
passengers to use cell phones on commercial flights," Duquette
said.
The Federal Communications Commission also bans cell phone use
on flights, out of concern for interfering with cell phone networks
on the ground. That agency opened a review of the issue in 2004 but
ended it last year without taking action.
On European flights, installing a base station on the plane will
allow calls to go directly to a satellite system, preventing phones
from wreaking havoc with flight instruments by sending out signals
indiscriminately, EU officials said.
The system will rely on European GSM technology. Although the
technical standards for American and European GSM phones are
different, American GSM phones would work on European flights.
Installing small base stations on planes helps ensure phones
won't give off strong signals trying to connect with a tower on the
ground. But Dave Carson, co-chairman of an RTCA Inc. committee
studying wireless safety on planes for the FAA, said there was
still a risk that a phone might try to connect with a ground tower.
In Europe, travelers will be allowed to turn on their phones
after planes climb past 10,000 feet. That's when other electronic
devices are typically permitted. Captains will also be able to
block cell phone service during turbulence.
The ban remains in place for all U.S. carriers, including
domestic and international flights. Duquette said the FAA had not
decided whether to block foreign carriers from allowing cell phone
use when they enter U.S. airspace.
The new EU rules were welcomed by airlines, some of which, such
as Air France-KLM, had already launched a trial of in-flight phone
service on some European routes. British Midland Airways Ltd.,
Portugal's TAP and low-cost airline Ryanair are also planning to
offer services later this year.
Dubai-based Emirates Airlines introduced its in-flight phone
services last month on its Dubai-to-Casablanca route but limits the
number of calls passengers can make and bars calls during night
flights.
Selmayr said European regulators would keep a close eye on
airlines and phone companies to make sure they set fair rates for
in-flight service.
"We understand there is an additional cost because you need to
route these services via the onboard cellular network and there is
some investment that has to be made," Selmayr said. He did not
give any cost comparisons.
The EU also urged airlines to set in-flight etiquette rules to
ensure a balance between those wanting to make calls and others
seeking a few hours of peace and quiet.
Those rules could include requiring passengers to silence their
ringtones, limit their use to text-messaging or e-mail or banning
calls during the night, when other passengers are trying to sleep.
German airline Lufthansa said Monday it does not plan to
introduce the service because a majority of its customers saw no
need. Surveys have shown a large majority of customers against it,
Lufthansa spokesman Jan Baerwalde said.
"People don't want to be disturbed," Baerwalde said.
Lufthansa will look at providing fast Internet access on its
planes, a service it already offered from 2004 until the end of
2006. The airline is looking for a new service partner to
reintroduce the service.
The Association of European Airlines said airlines would
inevitably set conditions on use to avoid in-flight flare-ups
between passengers.
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Associated Press Writers Raf Casert, Anick Jesdanun, Barbara
Schaeder and Pete Yost contributed to this report.