February 04, 2004

By: Yannik Allan
Website: http://www.1st-in-cell-phones.com

AirCell advances toward inflight cell phone service

AirCell, Inc. has received notification from the United States Patent Office that it has allowed a patent on an aircraft telecommunications technology which will permit passengers to use their personal cell phones while an aircraft is in-flight. The AirCell technology is a key step toward offering such a service to the world's airlines.

The AirCell approach is dramatically less complex, lower cost, and more flexible than any previously identified solution. Ken Jochim, vice president of engineering and operations at AirCell provided further details, "AirCell's novel approach dramatically reduces the size, weight, and cost of equipment required to provide cellular service onboard an aircraft, as compared to earlier approaches referred to as 'picocells' which involve putting the equivalent of a full terrestrial cellular base station onboard the aircraft. The patented concepts allow all the functionality provided to the cellular user in-flight to be controlled by the network rather than the airborne station, simplifying the addition of features and migration to future cellular technologies, and it also provides a novel way to manage the radio frequency environment in the aircraft to prevent interference."

This marks an important milestone for the company, however, rigorous testing will be required to satisfy the concerns relating to non-interference with terrestrial cell phone systems and the aircraft's communication and navigation systems. AirCell has entered into discussions with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure all requirements are properly met.

Also See: best cell phone companies.

Author Notes:

Yannik Allan contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-cell-phones.com.  A cellular phone industry resource featuring articles, comparisons and reviews of cellular phone and service plans.