More Airlines Commencing New Passenger Communication Initiatives

Over the past several weeks a number of airlines have either commenced new passenger communications initiatives or have announced their intention to do so.

On March 20^th, an Emirates Airbus A340-300 flying from Dubai to Casablanca allowed its passengers to make and receive voice calls - the first ever made on a commercial flight - and send and receive SMS (short message service) text messages via their mobile phones, using AeroMobile service. The AeroMobile system, which has received STC (supplemental type certificate) approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has also been installed on an Emirates B-777-300.

On the same day as the Emirates launch, Qantas Airways announced that it plans to install AeroMobile on its B-767s and A330s that operate domestically within Australia.  This development follows the Australian airline's successful nine-month trial of AeroMobile's GPRS (general packet radio service) data and text messaging that Qantas has conducted since April 2007.

Meanwhile, AeroMobile's newest customer, V Australia, is having Boeing install Panasonic and AeroMobile passenger communications technology on its new B-777-300ERs during their production. This is the first time the Panasonic eXPhone system has been line-fitted during an aircraft's manufacture, and will enable V Australia to offer SMS text message and GPRS email to its passengers across its entire fleet from the time it begins operations later this year.

AeroMobile's customers now use all of Inmarsat's classic, Swift64 and SwiftBroadband services. It has also developed WLAN (wireless local area network) systems that are able to use Inmarsat's latest SwiftBroadband service, so it can offer a complete portfolio of passenger connectivity services for airlines and their passengers.

OnAir

Air France says it will be trialing an OnAir inflight voice call service that will offer passengers a full range of mobile communications services, including voice, SMS and email.

Air France and OnAir have been trialing the first international inflight mobile phone service since December 2007, but until now, passengers were only able to use their phones to send and receive SMS text messages and emails. Now, however, passengers can use their mobile phones and GPRS devices to make and receive calls in exactly the same way as they do on the ground. They simply need to have a roaming agreement, as when travelling abroad, and the cost for using the service is invoiced by their operator in the usual way.

The service is activated above 3,000 meters and allows up to six simultaneous calls, as well as unlimited SMS and emails.  OnAir says it is currently the only service that allows the downloading of email attachments.

Mobile OnAir uses Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband satellite connectivity to transmit voice and data signals to and from the plane. The passenger's device connects to the OnAir system via a mini base-station on the aircraft, based around a picocell, which picks up signals from PDAs (personal digital assistants) and phones and sends them to a satellite. From there, they go to OnAir's ground network, and then out to the public network.

The OnAir technology will allow up to 12 simultaneous calls per picocell, as well as unlimited SMS text messages and emails. If required, further picocells can be added, increasing the number of simultaneous calls.

Following positive feedback from passengers during the first half of the trial, passengers will now also be able to make and receive calls. The findings from the trial will enable Air France to decide which service customers prefer: data only or data and voice.

The Air France trial is running on an Airbus A318 operating on routes in Europe. Customers are informed about the service via seat-back leaflets and cabin crew announcements. As during the first part of the trial, customers will be able to give their opinion on this new service. Their feedback and comments will enable Air France to assess their level of satisfaction.

European Commission to Unify Mobile Phone Licensing Requirements

The International Herald Tribune reported on April 6^th that the European Commission plans to announce rules to let airlines offer midair mobile phone calls to passengers across the European Union on April 7^th, which would remove a major obstacle for companies that want to sell the service.

The commission's new regulations would unify cellular licensing requirements and technical standards to cover mobile phones as they cross multiple boundaries in the air.

This action follows the recent announcement by Britain's communication's regulator, Ofcom, that it was ready to grant licenses for such service.

The move by Viviane Reding, the European commissioner responsible for telecommunications, would allocate space on the limited radio spectrum and ensure that licenses granted in one member state are recognized in all 27 EU countries.

The commission said it expected countries on the EU's borders to associate themselves with the accord to ensure services could operate to and from the bloc without interruption.  Reding has been calling for a regulatory "one-stop shop" to ensure that telecommunications services can be operated throughout the EU.

The EU standards will cover GSM (global system for mobile) phones operating in the 1800 megahertz frequency band, which are estimated to account for more than 90 percent of European air passengers, according to the commission.

The systems use an on-board picocell base station that communicates with passengers' own phones, and from there to the appropriate satellite.  04-09-2008.

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