Europe Approves 3G, LTE Networks For Use In-Flight

The other day we reported that the EASA, Europe’s version of the FAA, finally allowed the use of personal electronic devices at all stages of the flight, including take off and landing, following in the footsteps of the FAA who recently approved something similar as well. Well it looks like the EASA will be taking things one step further and will now allow the deployment of 3G and LTE networks on their planes, essentially allowing passengers to take advantage of these networks to access the internet. Prior to this, the use of 2G was as good as it gets and was primarily used for calls and texts, but now we guess internet will be part of the mix as well.

However as the press release points out, this does not necessarily mean that you will be able to use your phone during flights, especially since it will be up to the individual airlines to determine if these are services they intend to offer or not. Either way this is a good start and soon accessing internet during your flight will become commonplace. As it stands only the FAA and EASA have announced these new rules, so for those flying in other regions, you guys will just have to wait for your own regulatory approval first.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: europe