In air, but mobile phones no longer grounded

The days of switching off your mobile phone while flying seems to be over. Airlines around the world are beginning to deploy new technologies that allow passengers to stay connected even while flying 30,000 feet above the ground.

For instance, Lufthansa enables you to send and receive emails with large file attachments without time delay on most flights from and to India. And if you are flying the Airbus A-380 of Dubai-based Emirates airlines, you will also be able to remain in touch through phone calls. The service is being offered in partnership with OnAir.

The OnAir system allows passengers to use their own mobile phones to make and receive phone calls and text messages from Emirates aircraft in-flight, just as they would on the ground.

First such flight departed from Dubai international Airport to Munich International Airport on October 2 and the first recorded A380 in-flight call was placed to China while the aircraft cruised at 11,500 metres flying across the Gulf.

Indian passengers may have to wait a while to experience this new technology because the Indian Government does not allow any international airline to operate the A380 to India. But it’s a start and it will be only a matter of time before the technology becomes ubiquitous.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa has introduced high speed on-board Internet services called FlyNet that gives passengers with a laptop or mobile phone with unlimited online access. Using tablets such as an iPad or mobile phones, passengers can connect to the Internet through a hotspot on board the way they would connect through any public hotspot on the ground.

After opening their browser, users are automatically connected to the exclusive free-of-charge FlyNet portal, which provides constant updates on business, political, sports and entertainment news. A satellite links connects the aircraft to the World Wide Web.

The airline has come up with different billing options for Internet usage including €10.95 or 3,500 miles for one hour or €19.95 or 7,000 miles for 24-hour access. The service is available on Delhi-Munich, Mumbai-Frankfurt, Mumbai-Munich and Chennai-Frankfurt routes.

The airline has said data communication using the GSM and GPRS international cell phone standards will also be available by the year-end. The option on board will include cell phone text messaging and data transfer with smartphones such as the iPhone or BlackBerry.

Options On board Emirates is offering this mobile service in partnership with OnAir The OnAir system allows passengers to use their own mobile phones to make and receive phone calls and text messages Lufthansa has introduced high speed on-board Internet services called FlyNet

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-info-tech/article3965903.ece