Using 5G in the air as well as on land will soon be possible.
On November 24, the European Commission authorized the deployment of this technology in planes flying over the EU from June 30, 2023. Passengers will be able to send messages, watch videos or browse the internet at 10,000 meters above sea level. altitude using their mobile data
-
for a certain cost - without however being able to make calls, so as not to disturb other passengers.
“
The sky is no longer the limit when it comes to the possibilities offered by very high-speed and high-capacity connectivity
,” said Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market.
It remains to be seen whether, despite this authorization, the airlines will play the game. Deploying 5G requires the installation of special equipment, called
pico-cell
, in order to connect the aircraft to the satellite network.
A costly investment that could be passed on to the price of the ticket.
Not to mention that 5G risks cannibalizing the Wi-Fi offer deployed in more and more aircraft and for which companies charge for an option.
Read alsoAbolition of short domestic flights in France: which lines are affected?
Towards the end of airplane mode?
If putting your smartphone in airplane mode has become a habit among passengers, it is no longer an obligation since 2014. That year, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) authorized the total use of mobile phones in flight , considering that the risk of interference with the on-board system is almost nil.
Nevertheless, it gives airlines the freedom to maintain this precaution or not.
This explains why, even today, flight personnel invite us to put our laptops in airplane mode during take-off and landing.
Disabling mobile data once in the air is also recommended to avoid unpleasant surprises on your telephone bill.
Connecting to the Internet inadvertently can indeed cause astronomical roaming charges.
In the United States, at the start of the year, the installation of 5G antennas in and near airports caused panic in the aviation sector, to the point that some companies preferred to suspend their flights.
In question: the fear that 5G waves put landing planes at risk, since they use frequencies too close to those used by altimeters.
The deployment of 5G near airports has been postponed for six months, while the Civil Aviation Authority (FAA) and telecom operators agree on new standards.
Such a scenario is impossible in Europe where the frequency bands used for 5G are different from those used in the United States.
