The Refrain in Spain is Mainly on the Plane

Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:46AM EDT

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Just when you thought cell phones on planes was a dead issue... they bring it back to life! Not on our shores, however. Airbus just received approval for an onboard mobile phone system, but only in Europe. It's unclear how far this ruling extends geographically or where exactly the service will be rolled out, but the EASA has jurisdiction covering the whole of the EU.

Airbus's system, a partnership called OnAir, is GSM-based (of course) and includes capabilities for voice calls and text messaging. Support for services like BlackBerry email are also included in the technology, but it's unclear whether more advanced activities like web browsing will be possible.

Interestingly, pilots will be able to disable the service at any time as well as turning on a "quiet mode" whereby voice services are disabled but text services are not. Sounds like a brilliant plan to pacify both the gotta-stay-in-touch crowd as well as the no-more-noise majority.

Wirelessinfo notes that the service is now being rolled out in smaller aircraft on short flights, though there is no information on how soon the OnAir service will start showing up in actual aircraft. I defer to my European readers to cue is in when things are live... and to let us know if it's really as maddening as everyone seems to be afraid it could become.

Comments on God hates Twitter

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  • 1 Posted by alanleewong on Wed May 20, 2009 6:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    I do hate medevival nostalgia. It is 2009 and I'm not going to ride a mule or have the King's messenger pickup my mil next month and deliver it a year later I don't think even God would accept that kind of service

  • 2 Posted by falconrok55 on Wed May 20, 2009 9:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    The church is dabbing in waters far beyond its jurisdiction...

  • 3 Posted by fjcamp2002 on Wed May 20, 2009 9:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    There are a lot more good Catholic priests (and Protestant ministers, and Jewish Rabbis, and Muslim Imans etc, etc) than bad ones; they just do not get the press. Now, back on topic - Twitter, Facebook,etc. has its place - the problem comes in like anything else, when it is excessive, or should I say obsessive. All things in moderation.

  • 4 Posted by monko12105 on Wed May 20, 2009 10:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    stupid catholics, DONT WORSHIP THE POPE, FOLLOW GOD INSTEAD

  • 5 Posted by magpagbst on Wed May 20, 2009 10:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    hmmm . . . to the first five posters (and even you, mr null) . . just WHAT in the church's statements is inappropriate/out of line and why? . . . now i'm as secular as they come . . . but i find it difficult to discover anything wrong with the church's assertions . . .

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