News JVTech 5G: the European Union definitively buries airplane mode
Published on 25/11/2022 at 20:50
It’s a debate that’s been raging since smartphones have been around, but what is airplane mode really for? We have been pondered for years with this function by making us believe that we risk causing air crashes, however, the decision of the European Union to authorize 5G on board planes definitively bury this theory.
No more airplane mode, 5G is coming to air transport
“Finally” some will say, after years and years of being patient with air travel and as international tourism and travel are finally picking up after more than 30 months under the sign of COVID, a new era finally opens for travelers and mobile telephony.
Whether in gas stations, radiology centers or planes, you have inevitably happened one day to be confronted with this sign often printed on a very horny A4 sheet “Please put your electronic devices in airplane mode” without no other explanation than that of common sense and “it’s like that and not otherwise”.
If you ask a flight attendant, she will usually tell you that it’s for avoid interference with the aircraft’s electronic guidance systems which could interfere with take-off and landing. Faced with such a threat, I might as well tell you that no one has ever sought to challenge this assertion.
But in reality the problem is a little more complex and reveals above all over-precaution mixed with a little paranoia and urban legend. According to a study by The Conversation, the real reason would not come from a problem in the planes, but from possible interference on the ground. Be that as it may, since then the devices have evolved and the ever more efficient tools have enabled the experts to affirm that there was no risk in using electronic devices in planes and that it was even possible to use a 5G connection if available.
It is in this sense that the European Union announced, just yesterday:
Passengers on board flights in the EU will be able to use their mobile phone to its maximum capacity and functionality, just like with a 5G mobile network on the ground.
And Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market concludes:
5G will bring innovative services to people and growth opportunities to European businesses. The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to the possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity.
5 GHz Wi-Fi arrives in road transport
To allow companies to offer their travelers the possibility of benefiting from 5G on board aircraft, the latter will have to be equipped with special equipment called “Picocell” which will make the link between the travelers’ smartphones, the antennas on the ground and the satellites in orbit around the Earth.
History not to annoy its neighbors and other passengers, the use should be restricted to data only and that telephone calls will be prohibited. But what about Wi-Fi calls via WhatsApp and others? Be that as it may, it will no doubt be necessary to establish new rules.
At the same time, the European Commission also decided on another measure, concerning road traffic this time, with the availability of the famous 5 GHz band which most of our smartphones already benefit from. This could improve geolocation services and autonomous driving. All Member States have until June 30, 2023 to comply.
