EU to permit calls on-board, is end of flight-mode coming with 5G?

The member nations of the EU must provide 5G frequency bands accessibility to aircrafts by June 30, 2023. As a result, users will be able to make calls and use data-intensive applications for streaming music and videos while on-board.

The European Commission decided that airlines could offer mobile broadband for both 5G technology along with other generations before 5G on board aircraft. Although, it is not obvious as to how will that be carried through, but this could mean that passengers won't need to put their phones on aero-plane mode anymore.

The member nations of the EU must provide 5G frequency bands accessibility to aircrafts by June 30, 2023.

As a result, users will be able to make calls and use data-intensive applications for streaming music and videos while on-board.

According to a BBC report, Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said the plan would "enable innovative services for people" and help European companies grow, the sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity," he said.

The US has had an antiquated attitude of worry that 5G frequencies might interfere with aircraft and perhaps result in inaccurate altitude readings . The report further quoted that Dai Whittingham, chief executive of the UK Flight Safety Committee, informed BBC, that airplane mode was historically important due to a lack of knowledge about how mobile devices affect aircraft."There was a concern they could interfere with automatic flight control systems,what has been found with experience is the risk of interference is very small. The recommendation has always been that once you are in flight, devices should be in in airplane mode," he said.

The 5G frequencies utilised in the UK and the EU are entirely distinct from those being utilised in the US. Whittingham believes that the UK and EU will not experience the 5G and aircraft interference problem. Notably, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently requested that the Indian telecom companies refrain from deploying 5G close to airports.

The EU can serve as an adjuvant to encourage other countries to use similar approach and offer mobile internet services over the air. In before, EU has designated few frequencies for aircraft use by travellers flying abroad. However, due to the excruciatingly sluggish internet rates, this service is insufficient. However, The BBC report said that the new system will let users connect to 5G inside of aeroplanes, consumers are expected to benefit from this new service by receiving rates of more than 100 Mbps when using their phones on-board, as stated by EE, a mobile network service.