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shanghaiceltic
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Sep 20, 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Perth WA
Status: Offline
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  Posted:
Mar 27, 2008 - 05:50 AM |
 
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| Post subject: In flight mobile get the go ahead |
It will be a nightmare. 12 hours of 'wei, wei...'
I like the fact that a plane is the last place where you will hear naff ringtones and people shouting into thier mobiles.
In-flight mobiles given go-ahead
David Millward
Last Updated: 6:12PM GMT 26/03/2008
Ofcom's approval of mobile phones on planes has brought the controversial plans a step closer, reports David Millward.
An Emirates aircraft, In-flight mobiles given go-ahead
Passengers on British aircraft could be allowed to make mobile phone calls within months after the telecoms watchdog gave the go-ahead for the service to be offered.
Its decision removed one of the few barriers protecting one of the last sanctuaries from the sounds of the mobile telephone.
Emirates could be one of the first to offer in-flight mobile calls.
Article continues
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Today's ruling by Ofcom will see the wavelengths allocated to aircraft needed to make calls, but other obstacles still have to be overcome.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will have to give approval to the equipment itself, and must be satisfied it will not interfere with other sensitive equipment on the aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Authority will also have to set the rules governing phone use in the air by passengers.
Mobile phone calls had been banned because the strength of a handset's signal interfered an aircraft's instrumentation. But new technology has enabled the signal to be weakened, because it only has to reach a transmitter at the back of the aircraft, rather than a mast some distance away.
Under the Ofcom proposals, the transmitter would be switched on by the cabin crew after the plane reaches 3,000 feet. This would create a safe onboard network, which would be routed via satellite to another network on the ground.
One possibility is that a foreign airline will be the first to offer calls out of a UK airport. A number of airlines including Air France and Emirates have already received approval for their equipment and both have already allowed passengers to use mobiles on a number of flights.
Emirates last week allowed passengers to use their phones on a flight from Dubai to Casablanca. Its equipment has already been approved by EASA, which would enable it bring an aircraft with the facility into Heathrow should it wish to do so. Emirates is planning to install a similar network on a Boeing 777, an aircraft which could be used on the Heathrow route.
Bmi said that it will soon start trials of one of the systems which would enable passengers to make onboard calls.
Virgin, however, was less enthusiastic. “We are obviously monitoring developments in this area,” a spokesman said. “But it is still a fact that passengers anecdotally tell us that they are not interested in making voice calls and this is something they do not want to do especially on long-haul flights.”
The Ofcom proposals were given a cautious welcome by the Air Transport Users Council.
"I can't see that there will be a problem, unless there are any disruptive passengers," a spokesman said.
"We would want all safety issues taken into consideration and hope that airlines would implement it sensitively taking into account the interests of passengers who don't want to use a mobile as well as those who do."
While some passengers may welcome the opportunity to make calls and send texts, others will see the change as an unwelcome intrusion. This was reflected in the airlines' response.
While Ryanair has made little secret of its enthusiasm for allowing passengers to make mobile phone calls on planes, other carriers were rather cooler about the idea.
"We will look at the technology carefully," a British Airways spokesman said.
"It would also necessary to take the views of our passengers into consideration.
"We would need to balance the convenience for those who do wish to make calls against those who want to be left in peace and quiet."
However EasyJet said it had no plans to allow mobile phones on planes. "We can look at a number of initiatives at any time, but this is not one of them at the moment.
"It may be something we look at if it is something our customers appreciate." |
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CoffeeHawk_0
Board Deity
Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 19025
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Mar 27, 2008 - 06:42 AM |
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I sleep on any flight over 8 hours, the last thing I want to hear is ringtones and babble in 20 different languages. |
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p1atl10
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 9052
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Mar 27, 2008 - 10:24 AM |
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Bad enough they have the annoying "Beijing Opera" videos on MU....
Now phones.....
Always travel with an iPod now to try and drown it out...will be much more difficult when it's coming from all over the plane.
But....hope springs eternal.
- Airlines are pushing for this...
- They will be beaming off a seperate satellite.
Which I hope means "additional charges"...which should cut down the usage somewhat once people realiize they are getting nicked.
I hopeand pray at least... |
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Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.....Dave Barry |
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hc
Post Roaster
Joined: Apr 04, 2007
Posts: 4545
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Mar 27, 2008 - 10:46 AM |
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findus
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 03, 2004
Posts: 2859
Status: Offline
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Mar 27, 2008 - 06:18 PM |
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Roll on air-rage... |
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Scojay
Raver
Joined: Oct 21, 2006
Posts: 383
Location: is inconsequential....
Status: Offline
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Mar 28, 2008 - 10:56 PM |
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I saw a cool little device about the size of a pack of cigs, that blocks a cell phone signal within a 25m radius. |
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Andreas
Board Legend
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10157
Location: s/v Waratah
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Mar 29, 2008 - 12:00 AM |
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| Scojay wrote: |
| I saw a cool little device about the size of a pack of cigs, that blocks a cell phone signal within a 25m radius. |
I got one of those. Guess what's going to be standard part of my carry on luggage. |
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Time is the very substance of life; its golden minutes are the only stones we have with which to build. That spiritual building, not made with hands. |
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DILLIGAF
LoopKicker
Joined: Dec 21, 2004
Posts: 923
Status: Offline
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Mar 29, 2008 - 12:24 AM |
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| Scojay wrote: |
| I saw a cool little device about the size of a pack of cigs, that blocks a cell phone signal within a 25m radius. |
where? DILLIGAF |
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Andreas
Board Legend
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10157
Location: s/v Waratah
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Mar 29, 2008 - 12:32 AM |
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Bought mine from a mailorder company in the UK about 3 years ago. Bloody brilliant when you want to have a quite dinner in a restaurant, or a quiet corner in the waiting lounge at the airport. Not bigger than a mobile phone. |
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Time is the very substance of life; its golden minutes are the only stones we have with which to build. That spiritual building, not made with hands. |
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DILLIGAF
LoopKicker
Joined: Dec 21, 2004
Posts: 923
Status: Offline
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Mar 29, 2008 - 12:35 AM |
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| Andreas wrote: |
| Bought mine from a mailorder company in the UK about 3 years ago. Bloody brilliant when you want to have a quite dinner in a restaurant, or a quiet corner in the waiting lounge at the airport. Not bigger than a mobile phone. |
mate, got any link for that MI5 gear...??? cheers, DILLIGAF |
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Andreas
Board Legend
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10157
Location: s/v Waratah
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Mar 29, 2008 - 12:00 PM |
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hammerforlife
Low Seater
Joined: May 24, 2004
Posts: 3303
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Mar 29, 2008 - 12:18 PM |
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That's fantatic, I have to get one of those. No chance of it blocking the plane's navigation at the same time though is there? 
I would hate to see the pilot with his head out of the window looking at a map. |
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