On 05/04/2012 11:05, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 10:20:28 on Thu, 5 Apr
2012, Graeme Wall remarked:
Emirates aeroplanes are now equipped on certain routes with
equipment
that allows in-flight mobile phone service.

BA have had built in mobile phones on some routes for several years
now.

There's a possibility for confusion between planes with seat-back (or
other) "built-in" phones which you can use, and being able to operate
your own mobile phone from within the plane.

Being pedantic they are both mobile phone services.

That's why I wanted to clarify the difference between the two cases, to
avoid confusion.

One is a phone service that's mobile because planes move around,

AIUI it uses mobile phone technology where available, I assume it uses
sat-phone technology when out over the Atlantic.

I think you'll find it's satellite everywhere. Apart from anything else
it's prohibited (in USA for example) to make cellular calls from an
aircraft, and the transnational billing issues would be a nightmare.


If I understand you correctly, your mobile on such flights hooks up with
a provider that the airline has contracted with. You will pay quite
handsomely for that service in any event, I'm sure.