Wireless phone use aboard commercial aircraft is moving a step closer to reality at an airline industry trade show this week.
OnAir, a collaborative effort by airline manufacturer Airbus SAS, vendor SITA Inc. and Tenzing Communications Inc., was unveiled at the World Airline Entertainment Association’s annual conference. OnAir service consists of a GSM, CDMA or W-CDMA picocell aboard a plane to allow for traditional cellular phone use.
Airbus completed the first in-flight trials using GSM phones in Europe earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the Norway-based telecommunications firm Telenor is partnering with Arinc Inc., a Maryland-based company, on a competing picocell system. The companies have installed the system at a booth at the show and said the entire product could be available for less than $100,000 per aircraft.
“We have passed all the technology and pricing hurdles,” said Graham Lake, an Arinc vice president. “The remaining challenges to in-flight mobile service are basically regulatory in nature.”
