Passengers aboard flights in the EU will be able to use their mobile phones just like with a ground-based 5G mobile network
Airlines in Europe will be able to provide the latest 5G technology on their planes, now that the European Commission has updated the implementing decision on spectrum for mobile communications on-board aircrafts and designated certain frequencies for in-flight 5G.
Following this decision by the European Commission, passengers aboard flights in the EU will be able to use their mobile phones just like with a ground-based 5G mobile network.
“5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies. The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity,” said Thierry Breton, commissioner for the internal market.
Since 2008, the European Commission’s implementing decision has reserved certain frequencies for mobile communications on planes, allowing airlines to provide messaging, phone calls and data services to passengers flying in the EU. This update of the Commission implementing decision on mobile communications on-board aircraft paves the way for the wide-spread deployment of 5G services.
The European body noted that the service is provided within the cabin of an equipped aircraft using picocells to connect the users and route calls, texts and data, typically via a satellite network, between the airplane and the ground-based mobile network.
The European Commission also amended an implementing decision on 5 GHz frequency bands, which makes the bands available for Wi-Fi in road transport.
The body highlighted that the amending decision lays the foundation for innovations in the automotive industry and potentially for Metaverse applications. According to the amendment of the implementing decision, the member states shall make the 5 GHz frequency bands available for use aboard road vehicles as early as possible and at the latest by June 30, 2023.
In February, the European Commission announced new decisions to open up additional frequencies for the provision of 5G services in the European Union.
The body decided that the 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz bands will be used for the provision of 5G in member countries. These radio bands are currently employed for 2G, 3G and 4G services.
In its 2016 Action Plan, the European Commission set a deadline of 2025 for 5G services to be rolled out across all urban areas and all major transport routes across member countries. In March last year, the body set the target of achieving EU-wide 5G coverage by 2030.
However, the majority EU member states are not on track with the deployment of their 5G networks and lack a common approach to security concerns linked to high-risk non-EU vendors, according to a special audit report published last month by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
In its recent report, ECA recommended the European Commission to promote the even and timely deployment of 5G networks within the EU, to foster a concerted approach to 5G security among member states and monitor member states’ approaches towards 5G security.
