According to media reports, airline passengers in the European Union (EU) will soon be able to use 5G technology in their phones to full effect in the sky.
The European Commission has ruled that airlines can offer 5G technology alongside slower mobile data on board planes, according to the BBC.
Flyers will no longer be required to put their phone in flight mode as a result of this, though the specifics of how this will be implemented are unknown.
“Enable innovative services for people and help European companies grow,” Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, was quoted as saying.
“The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity,” he added.
According to the report, the deadline for member states to make the 5G frequency bands available for planes is June 30, 2023.
This will allow people to use all of their phone’s features while in flight, including calls and data-heavy apps that stream music and video.
According to the report, the EU Commission has reserved certain frequency bands for aircraft since 2008, allowing some services to provide in-flight internet access.
However, because it relied on equipment to connect people via satellite between the plane and the ground, this service has historically been slow.
According to the report, the new system will be able to take advantage of 5G’s much faster download speeds, which can reach over 100Mbps according to mobile network EE, allowing a film to be downloaded within minutes.
