LOS ANGELES—Qantas Airways said it plans to evaluate technology that will allow its passengers to use their cell phones and other wireless devices for voice and data services during flight.
The airline said it will conduct evaluations during the first quarter of next year on domestic routes in Australia. Qantas said it surveyed business travelers to gauge interest in the service and found overwhelming support for the idea. Respondents were particularly interested in being able to access e-mail services, said the company.
Qantas said it is working with Telstra, Panasonic Avionics Corp. and AeroMobile on the technology and trials. The technology would route calls through a picocell and then a satellite link before connecting to a terrestrial network.
