Tired of Lonely Flights to Europe? Use Your Cellphone!

The increase in terrorist attacks in recent years and other security threats have resulted in the ban of using mobile phones on airplane flights.

The risks of crashes, mechanical failures and attacks are fairly high so this ban was widely accepted around the globe. After all, no one wants to take any risks while flying several thousand meters above solid ground. However, the European Union has decided to end this ban and allow the use of mobile phones during flights in European skies.

New European rules have apparently deemed that using mobile phones on airplanes have become safe. European airlines are expected to launch airplane mobile phone services within the next few months. This will make the Europe the first region to legalize the use of handsets in flights.

Naturally, this decision was met with alarm. For example, may experts emphasize that mobile phone signals could disrupt a plane's instruments and detonate explosive devices. However, European Union officials express confidence that new GSM technology developed in Europe would make sure that the risk of terrorism or interfere with flight instruments will not increase.
The technology has been thoroughly tested and safeguards will be enacted against the terror
threat.

Indeed, the officials are more concerned with noise generated by mobile phones than terrorism instrument interference. Mobile phone use in long flights could be a problem. Noise from ringing devices or message alerts might disrupt sleeping passengers.

European Union officials hope to reduce security risks by controlling the period or time frame in which mobile phones can be used. They plan to halt phone services during takeoff, landing or during turbulence. They also feel that using an onboard base station to link up to a satellite and then to ground networks will minimize security risks.

They are also looking into other issues that might surface as part of this decision. Of of this is the new price or fees that will be charged to passengers who ant to avail of the mobile phone services. The plan is to have regulators in charge of making sure that set fair rates for the service are observed by keeping a close eye on the airlines and phone operators.

This is certainly an interesting development. Maybe this concept will spread and eventually mobile phone use will be allowed in US flights. However, it make take more years for that too happen. The threat in the US may be too great and Sept. 11 is still fresh in America's memory. I don't think they'll be willing to take that risk since the War in Iraq is still mot completed. Nevertheless, those long European flights have become less boring now that we are allowed to use our handsets.