Consumers travelling via flights soon won’t need to switch on the ‘flight mode’ or the ‘airplane mode’ on their smartphones. EU or the European Union is moving towards enabling passengers inside the aircraft to be able to use 5G while in the air. EU has given a deadline of June 30, 2022, to its member states to make 5G frequency bands available for aircraft. This would definitely change the way people look at flight travel, at least in the UK. Consumers would be able to use mobile services inside the aircraft in the same manner as they do when on the ground. According to a BBC report, Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the internal market, said that 5G services inside the aircraft would enable innovative services for people.
Other Countries Can Adopt the Same Methodology
EU can act as a catalyst for other nations to adopt the same methodology and provide mobile internet connectivity services on air. EU planned in advance and had kept some frequencies reserved for the passengers in flights to get mobile connectivity. However, this service isn’t good enough because the internet speeds are painfully slow. But the new system would enable customers to connect with 5G inside aircraft. The report adds that EE, a mobile network service provider said that this new service could mean customers getting over 100 Mbps of speeds on their phones while in the air. Dai Whittingham, Chief Executive of the UK Flight Safety Committee, told the broadcasting major that airplane mode was important because there wasn’t enough knowledge about how mobile devices affect the aircraft. It was a concern that mobile devices could interfere with the aircraft systems.
UK Isn’t Worried About 5G Interfering with Flights
The 5G frequencies that the UK and the EU are using are completely different from the 5G frequencies that are being used in the United States (US). Thus, Whittingham feels that the interference issue between 5G and flights won’t come in the UK and the EU. It is worth noting that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also asked the Indian telecom operators to avoid launching 5G nearby the airports. Read More - Jio, Airtel and Vi Can’t Roll Out 5G in C-band Near Airports for Now
