GENEVA, Switzerland-In-flight communications company OnAir Inc. said it is working with software developer TriaGnoSys GmbH and server provider Miltope Corp. to build a GSM-only mobile-phone offering for use onboard jetliners.
OnAir, which is a partnership between airplane manufacturer Airbus S.A.S. and information technology networking company Sita Inc., said it hopes to produce a pre-production version of a server enabling in-flight mobile-phone use by the end of the year. The company hopes to offer a commercial version of the GSM system ready for integration and end-to-end testing by the first half of next year.
Earlier this week, Boeing’s Connexion division said it is working with Qualcomm Inc. on a similar offering for BREW-based phones. The companies said they are successfully testing simultaneous use of CDMA and GSM technologies onboard jetliners.
Both the OnAir and Connexion systems use an onboard “pico cell,” or small mobile base station, that communicates with an air-to-ground satellite link.
While the technological issues surrounding in-flight cellular usage are largely being addressed, U.S. passengers aren’t likely to be making calls at 40,000 feet any time soon. The Federal Aviation Administration last month said its rules against the use of wireless devices will remain in place notwithstanding a proposal from the Federal Communications Commission to lift its ban on in-flight phone use.
