Giving Wings to Wireless Communication – Wi-Fi on Airplanes

Most airplanes are still equipped with the old “no smoking” light that warns passengers that it’s not an appropriate time or place to light up. Airline travelers already know that that they can’t smoke during their flights so those lit-up signs seem to be unnecessary. Perhaps we’re soon to see them replaced with warning lights letting us know whether it’s okay to use our wireless communication devices in the air. Airlines across the world are starting to adopt in-flight wi-fi connectivity and that’s causing rules to be put into place as to which devices and services are okay in the air and which ones need to be ruled out.

Overview of the issue:

Many different airlines have begun to make announcements about their upcoming ability to offer various wireless services in the air. For some carriers, this means that there will be in-flight broadband connections that allow people to get online during their flights. For other carriers, this means that wireless communications via telephone will be allowed. The debate is around how much conversation to allow on these devices during the flight. At the current time it seems that silent conversations (such as instant message and SMS message) are going to be allowed on most flights. However, voice conversations including cell phone calls and VoIP communication are going to be banned by many airlines.

Arguments for and against in-air voice communication:

The main argument that is given against in-air voice conversations is that no one wants to have to listen to their airplane seat neighbor chatting away on the phone all throughout a long flight. The idea is that you’re already forced to sit in close proximity to someone else and you want to be able to carve out as much personal space for yourself as possible. When someone is talking away into their phone, that personal space gets invaded by their voice.

While that argument is more or less true, a closer look at it reveals that perhaps it doesn’t make that much sense in the modern world. Sure, it’s a bit annoying to listen to the business details and personal lives of someone who doesn’t mind sharing them with the world as they chat away into their mobile phone. However, most of us have gotten used to this as a way of life today. You listen to it as you read a book at your local coffee shop, as you stand in line to buy your groceries and as you commute via bus or train to your job. Listening to it on a plane isn’t really any different; we’re just not yet used to the idea yet.

Global differences in in-flight wireless communication:

Airlines around the nation are considering what to do about this issue. They seem intent on limiting voice conversations in some way while still offering basic wireless services to their passengers. The way that this issue is resolved by different airlines seems to have taken on a global divide. Carriers throughout Europe seem to be in favor of testing out voice services on their planes and are strongly in favor of allowing in-flight SMS messaging. The European Aviation Safety Association (EASA) has ruled that in-flight voice communication is safe. In contrast, United States airlines must operate under the regulations of the FCC and FAA which banned in-flight mobile phone conversations in the past. This ban does not necessarily apply to VoIP but most carriers are choosing to rule out VoIP on their own in favor of Internet-based data conversations such as email and Instant Messaging.

A closer look at specific carriers:

Not all airlines have begun to adopt wireless connectivity on their planes yet. However, a large number of carriers have either started to offer this service or are looking to offer this service within the next couple of years. Here are some of the voice communication plans that specific carriers are implementing or considering at this time:

• Air France is currently in the midst of a 6-month trial for in-flight voice and text messaging services. At the end of this trial, Air France will review passenger feedback in order to determine whether to continue one or both of these services on its flights. During the testing phase, these services are only available on the airline’s Airbus 318 planes and are charged at the customer’s normal rate for international calls and SMS messaging.
• British Midland Airways and TAP Portugal are both working on plans that offer in-flight wireless connection on the GSM standard. These services include both data and voice communication.
• Ryanair is working on a similar plan to that of British Midland Airways however it is currently tied up in dealing with regulatory issues that may make it difficult to move forward with in-flight voice services.
• American Airlines and Alaska Airlines in the United States have both decided that they are going to ban VoIP services. This is keeping in line with the general ban on voice conversations which is required by the country’s FCC guidelines.
• Virgin Airlines is considering pushing the boundaries of those FCC guidelines by testing out in-flight VoIP. However, they haven’t confirmed whether or not that’s going to be the case and are still considering a ban similar to the other U.S. airlines.

An upcoming airline issue:

At the end of March 2008, we’re going to see a change in U.S. and European flights that could make a difference in the development of this service. At that time, the new US-EU Open Skies & Aviation agreement is going to go into effect. That agreement allows every single United States airline carrier to fly into any one of the 27 EU countries. Likewise, it allows all European carriers to fly into any U.S. city. This will increase airline competition which is going to drive the carriers to provide more of the services desired by their passengers. Time has yet to tell whether or not voice communication is going to be one of those services but it’s going to be something that airlines are keeping a close eye on.

The next issue in in-flight wireless communication:

Once the airlines have settled on whether or not to allow voice communication services in the air, they’re going to need to make a determination about another related issue: cost. Airlines are currently consider both fee-based and free in-flight wireless connectivity. Phone companies will also have to determine whether these calls and SMS messages are going to be charged at standard international rates or whether another type of fee structure will be imposed.

Summary of issue:

It’s going to take some time for all airlines to be outfitted with the technology that allows for in-air wireless voice communication. However, that technology is currently being built with an eye towards staying competitive in a new global airline market. This means that both airlines and phone carriers are going to be adopting new strategies of creating and charging for wireless voice services in the air.

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