WirelessCabin: Use Your Mobile Phone on Airplanes 296
securitas writes "What if didn't have to turn off your mobile phone when you travel by air? eWEEK's Matthew Broersma reports on a European Commission project to enable mobile phone use on airplanes. The technology works by creating short-range 'picocells' that force transmission output power to drop to 1/1000th of normal, reducing electronic interference, then using a satellite uplink. The WirelessCabin project members include the German Aerospace Centre, Siemens, Ericsson and Airbus. Initial trials will use 'GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections' but will add CDMA and 3G standards. WirelessCabin is already making a picocell with CDMA2000. The first demonstrations are scheduled for this summer on Lufthansa long-haul flights with the A340-600 jet."
Sky high rates? (Score:5, Interesting)
I get the feeling that even if this allows you to use your cell phone like normal, you're going to be considered to be on a "roaming tower" as far as your cell phone company is concerned because your cell phone company won't own the picocell. Therefore, forget about using your unlimited night and weekend minutes on these flights, you'll be still paying the same through-the-nose rates for plane-to-ground communications.
I never turn it off (Score:4, Interesting)
Too complicated (Score:3, Interesting)
Uh-oh... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Too complicated (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Sky high rates? (Score:5, Interesting)
Do cell phones actually interfere with airliners anyway? I mean c'mon -- are the systems onboard a modern aircraft really so fragile that my cell phone will bother them? Of course I always turn my phone off anyway because I don't want to be arrested and wind up in Cuba but still...
Of course I do recall that with my old Nextel (i700 plus -- that phone was a beast) I could tell when a call was incoming before the ringer went off because it would interfere with nearby speakers. I've never seen a cell phone other then that one (and I've used lots of different cell phones) interfere with anything though.
Picocells are the future (Score:5, Interesting)
Cost? (Score:5, Interesting)
Inside the US seat-back phone calls run $2-$3 per minute. I had to make a call over India from Lufthansa's satellite phone on Inmarsat's network at $10 per minute a few years ago. That was an expensive call.
Roaming on a $10 per minute network certaintly would keep the chatter to a minimum for those who don't want to listen to people on mobile phones in airplanes. SMS, however, would be very cool and should be very quiet.
Happens to a friend of mine too.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Sean D.
cell phones aren't near obnoxious enough (Score:0, Interesting)
Re:The whole no phones in planes (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Sky high rates? (Score:3, Interesting)
1) When you're on the ground and your call drops because some jackass on an airplane owns the same cell you are on then you might care.
2) When the only time you can get 3 hours of peace is on a flight from X to Y and you have to sit next to Joe on the phone to his secretary talking about the meeting he has five days from now (which he could call and talk to her about tomorrow) you might care.
Re:Sky high rates? (Score:3, Interesting)
No, it just made little static bursts on speakers (even if they weren't being used -- it would make static bursts on speakerphones that were on-hook -- all they needed was to be powered) near the cell phone. I always assumed it was the cell phone transmitting it's data packets back to the network. It was really interesting to use in the car with the surround-sound system I had. It gave my friends pause about using my cell phone ("Your going to put that right next to your brain?").
To this day I hate Nextel (billing problems that I've talked about elsewhere) but the i700plus was a true beast of a phone. It was supposedly mil-spec rated for shock and vibration resistance. That phone was indestructible.
Re:Picocells are the future (Score:4, Interesting)
--
Evan
Re:Sky high rates? (Score:5, Interesting)
Can't find the post. Maybe s/b else can.
Comment removed (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Sky high rates? (Score:3, Interesting)
Note that the subcarriers/harmonics problems isn't limited to intentional radiators (transmitters.)
Flight attendants: bring extra zip ties (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously. I use my phone and stuff, but can we have some peace and quiet anywhere these days?!
Re:I never turn it off (Score:2, Interesting)