European aircraft manufacturer Airbus successfully completed the first in-flight trial of GSM mobile phones and plans to allow passengers to use phones in flight by 2006, the company announced Wednesday.
Equipment and software developed by Airbus and Icarelink, a French satellite communications firm, were used aboard an Airbus A320 during the flight at Airbus’ headquarters. Signals from the phones were transmitted via a picocell inside the plane and routed to a Globalstar satellite communications network to the ground, where they were received by ground-based phone networks.
During the flight, phones were used for both voice and text messaging, reportedly without interfering with navigational systems. Airbus officials called the test a “major milestone” in their quest to allow passengers in-flight use of mobile phones, computers and personal digital assistants by 2006.
In July, Qualcomm Inc. used a similar system aboard an American Airlines test flight to demonstrate the safe use of CDMA phones. A few international airlines, including Scandinavian Airlines System and Lufthansa, offer in-flight wireless use via onboard Wi-Fi systems.
