Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
« Back to the grid | Next story »

UK Moves Closer to In-Flight Cell Phones

Posted Mar 26, 08 5:58 PM CDT in Technology 

(Newser) – British air travelers may soon be able to use their cell phones while in flight, Reuters reports. UK telecom regulator Ofcom approved airline proposals to offer mobile service, pending assent by the European aviation safety authorities. Passengers would be able to make calls once the aircraft was in the air by connecting their phones to a base station in their seats.

If approved, a process that could take months, the service will be available on UK-registered planes while over European airspace. "The safety of passengers is paramount,” Ofcom said, “and mobile systems will only be installed when they have secured approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK.”

Source Reuters

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., talks on his cell phone while sitting on the tarmac in his campaign plane, Thursday, march 6, 2008. Maybe one day he won't have to hang up during takeoff.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Passengers sit in their assigned seats before take-off July 10, 2006 at San Diego's Lindburgh Field Airport in San Diego, California.   ((Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images))
A Motorola Razr cell phone is seen at a consumer electronics store, in this Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, file photo in Gloucester, Mass.   (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

Great Britain • cell phones • airline industry • mobile services • in-flight • Ofcom


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »