About bloomin time!

[Fat Tone]

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/77556/airlines-agree-to-onboard-mobiles.html

[lecter]

I don't quite understand how the billing would work...roaming charges are different from country to country and if you're on a trans-continental flight you go through quite a few of those Would they adjust the billing on-the-fly depending on where you are at the time? Would that also mean that your voice/GPRS connection would drop when you cross a border? What about when you're flying over an ocean? Who provides the signal for that situation (and in general also, how would a GSM station even work at 10.000m? Does the plane provide the signal?

[VJ]

lecter: the airplane has its own antenna (internally) to host the mobiles, it is considered a network on its own. Users roam from their home network to the airplane's network. So you will be charged for using the plane's network, which most likely won't be cheap. I guess the plane connects via satellite.
The advantage is that - al all mobiles are connecting to the antenna which is very close by - all mobiles will be transmitting at very low strength (which helps to minimize interference). Currently, a mobile in a plane will be looking for an antenna and will be searching at full strenght.

Fat Tone: for what it is worth, a mobile does cause interference in small aircraft. First there is the interference in the headset (you hear clicking noises when a mobile is used), and secondly there is the interference with especially the VOR (one of the radio navigation aids). So in that aspect, I think it is normal it was forbidden until they were sure it wasn't going to cause issues on larger aircraft.


Personally, I'm not sure I like this... Just imagine sitting next to a guy chatting away during the entire flight... Or the noise of the ringtones... (crazy frog anyone? ) Just imagine: 200 passengers (virtually all of them with mobiles), a 2 hour flight and each of them calls once during 2 minutes or gets a call...



Jörg

[Brian Ellis]

Oh, God, one last haven free from ding-a-ding dong, ding-a-ding-ding-dong and people yakkety-yakking at the tops of their voices gone, when you want to nap after ingesting a plastic meal: GONE

I shall develop a jammer which will disable mobiles within a 50 m radius.

The BBC's Grumpy Old Men had it right. Mobile phones in public places are a blight on our civilisation. If this is permitted, the airlines should have a soundproof compartment (standing only) which should be the ONLY place where phones can be used (not may be used; CAN be used).

[lecter]

Thanks for the answer, VJ

As for the social issue, it can of course be annoying, but it's really no different from a long bus/train ride...I don't find it too annoying in those situations, it's something that can be lived with. They should state some rules like in the movie theater - at least putting the phones in Silent mode and trying not to talk too loudly...anyway, most people I've seen do not like to have a long conversation which would probably also involve some private matters next to at least a dozen people within earshot.

[Brian Ellis]

Remind me never to fly TAP Portugal or BMI as from when the service starts or any other airline that introduces it.

Boycotting airlines that reduce passenger comfort must have an effect.

I hope the operators price themselves out of business.

[agallag]

How is this different then the Airphones that are already installed in pretty much every plane in the world? I'm sure the roaming fees are going to be nearly as ridiculous...

[VJ]

Well, the difference is that the current inflight entertainment system (including the phone) is silent. If you game or so, you need the headset; if you call, the volume is limited.
However, with mobile phones, people would make more noise (the beeps of the buttons, ringtones if someone gets a call - could be just because he/she forgot to turn it off, games, ...). And chances are they would bother passengers more: imagine you here a ringtone in the overhead bin, people trying to get there in time, standing up, having to pass other passengers, ...

We can only hope that the roaming charges are high; because using an Airphone is quite a big step for people, esp. compared to using a mobile.


Jörg

[DGhost]

I shall develop a jammer which will disable mobiles within a 50 m radius.

they already exist. I believe they are used in Japan in certain public locations (theaters, certain restaunts and such).

[Nowhere]

I wonder how expensive they are/how difficult to build...