People travelling on flights in the European Union next year will be able to make phone calls and surf the internet.
Plane Wi-Fi is often unreliable, but the EU's latest ruling will allow passengers to use 5G whilst travelling. This means people will be able to make calls, stream music and chat over social media.
Airlines will be allowed to use special network equipment called picocell, which employs satellites to connect phones to the ground. According to the Mirror, Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said in a press release: "5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies.
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"The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity."
The frequencies for in-flight 5G (5 GHz) are different from those necessary for flying a plane (4.2 to 4.4 GHz), meaning there is essentially no risk of the pilot's transmissions being interrupted. While this sounds like it will be useful, there are a couple of possible downsides.
Loud chatting on the phone is commonplace on buses and trains, but planes are already more of a tense environment - and someone talking or having an argument on their mobile may not make this any easier.
It's unclear at the moment whether UK airlines will adopt this service. It is also not yet known how much it will cost for passengers to be able to browse the internet in the skies.
Airlines are likely to charge customers for the service, and international roaming charges may have to be put in place as the plane travels across borders.
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