Australia Testing Mobile Phones in Planes

The Australian Communications and Media Authority says that it has enabled a limited evaluation of GSM mobile phones and GPRS devices on a commercial aircraft.

The evaluation ? which is limited to one aircraft for up to 12 months - will be conducted by the national carrier, Qantas.

The test platform is quite interesting. It will block mobile phones working within the plane until it has reached 6,000 ft by broadcasting a jamming signal from pico cells inside the plane. Only once it is high enough, will the jamming signal be turned off and GSM1800 coverage enabled.

"The granting of permissions for the evaluation service is the culmination of many months of work aimed at facilitating an industry need," said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. "The application to conduct the evaluation touched on a number of ACMA's responsibilities in the radiocommunications and telecommunications regulatory areas."

To clear the way for the evaluation, ACMA has granted various approvals and exemptions including a carrier licence and a scientific assigned apparatus licence for a network control unit, and two Nominated Carrier Declarations.

The evaluation will be conducted on one Qantas passenger aircraft operating only on domestic Australian routes. Qantas has decided to commence the evaluation with email and text only, disabling voice services.

ACMA and other government bodies will then consider the potential for permanent regulatory arrangements for the service once the results of the evaluation are known."

Posted to the site on 18th April 2007