Airplane mobile phone service

From YenraWiki

Announced September 10, 2008, TAM airlines will be the first airline in the Americas to offer onboard mobile phone service on its Airbus A320s, to be provided by OnAir -- a joint venture of Airbus and Sita, an organization that develops cutting edge technology for aviation. A partnership signed with the company will enable TAM passengers to use their cell phones and smartphones in flight -- for voice, SMS messaging or emails -- on South American routes.

The system is expected to begin working in the second half of 2009. The startup of operations will depend on approval by the National Agency of Civil Aviation (Anac) and the National Agency of Telecommunications (Anatel), as well as the adjustment of legislation that only authorizes cell phone use when the aircraft is on the ground and the doors are open.

The system was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa), and its use was recently regulated by the European Union. The mechanism ensures complete safety for passengers, since it prevents signals from devices from causing interference in the aircrafts commands. In addition, should the need arise, the system can be shut down at any time. The company chose the OnAir system after two years of assessing connectivity solutions available on the market.