Ericsson introduces in-flight GSM phones

STOCKHOLM -- Ericsson today introduced its newly developed system GSM on aircraft, allowing passengers to use their mobile phones on board commercial aircrafts while in flight. The new equipment works with GSM technology, used almost everywhere in Europe and by Cingular and T-Mobile in the U.S. It does not support the CDMA technology used by U.S. wireless operators Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

"GSM is the largest mobile communications standard in the world and is used in every country. Consumers demand coverage anytime and anywhere," said Ulf Ewaldsson, vice president for product management GSM. "This is why Ericsson now is making mobile telephony available on board aircrafts and ships."

He said Ericsson has developed an airborne version of the world's most sold radio base station in the RBS 2000 family, the RBS 2708. The new radio base station offers Ericsson state of the art quality and ease of operation. Its functionally is identical to terrestrial systems and it has a well-recognized reliability.

For the traditional Ericsson customers, the telecom operators, the RBS 2708 will be "just another cell" in the network. An operator can manage this system just as they handle all other radio base stations. Only a few special procedures will be required to operate this boost to revenues.

Airlines will be able to offer an added-value service to their passengers, Ewaldsson said. The ordinary aircraft crew can handle the GSM on Aircraft system, with a minimum of extra workload, and allow passengers to place and receive calls when at cruising altitude.

Fully integrated with an Electromagnetic Screening Device (EMSD) and housed in an avionics standard enclosure of ARINC 600 type, the equipment is easy to install and safe in operation: not interfering with neither avionics nor terrestrial radio networks. The system offers up to 60 simultaneous calls and also offers dual band support as an option.

The system is available for installations late this year, Ewaldsson said.

In the US, the Federal Communications Commission is considering changing its current ban on in-flight cell service. Last week, United Airlines said it expects to provide such service in 2006.