Airlines could soon allow 5G phone calls during flights

Airlines will be able to provide the latest 5G technology on their planes alongside previous mobile technology generations as the Commission modified the implementing decision on spectrum for mobile communications on-board aircrafts, allocating particular frequencies for in-flight 5G technology.

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Enabling the provision of data, voice, and message services by airlines to travellers flying within the EU. The widespread deployment of 5G services has been made possible by this update to the Commission’s implementing decision on mobile communications on board aircraft..

The service is offered inside the cabin of a prepared aircraft using specialised network hardware, the so-called   “pico-cell,” to link the users and route calls, texts, and data, often via a satellite network, between the aircraft and the ground-based mobile network.

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The modifying decision establishes the groundwork for advancements in the automobile sector along with potential Metaverse applications. The Member States shall make the 5GHz frequency bands available for use aboard road vehicles as as soon as possible and at the latest by June 30, 2023, in accordance with the amendment to the implementing decision.

With the goal of accelerating research and innovation in 5G technology, the European Commission recognised the opportunity presented by 5G early on and established a public-private partnership on the subject (5G-PPP) in 2013. More than €700 million in public funding has been provided by the European Commission to support this work through the Horizon 2020 Program.