Using mobile phones on planes could become a reality from year

BBC News says that using mobile phones on planes within European airspace might become a real thing starting next year. GSM calls will be routed to a base station located on the plane, then bounced off a satellite down to switches on the ground. Maybe you are asking about the price, of course the cost of an air-call will be more than a normal one. As you might expect, there are some concerns, according to British regulator Ofcom:

“mobile phone signals skewed navigation bearing displays by up to five degrees.”

“Ofcom said it would investigate and address any evidence of ‘excessive charges and abuses of competition’ if prices were set unfairly by airlines and mobile networks.”

Another concern is “passenger welfare.” The story says that UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency are working to make sure passengers don’t go postal on the businessman from Des Moines who’s just got to talk golf at 30,000 feet.