Arinc and Telenor begin testing wireless phone concept
Arinc and Norway telecommunications company Telenor have successfully completed ground testing of technology that lets passengers continue talking on their

Arinc and Norway telecommunications company Telenor have successfully completed ground testing of technology that lets passengers continue talking on their personal wireless phones after takeoff. The companies demonstrated the satellite-based concept at last month’s World Airline Entertainment Association conference, held September 20 to 24 in Seattle, and are holding talks with a number of airlines.

The Arinc/Telenor system operates over an Inmarsat satcom link by making GSM-type mobile phones “think” they are communicating with an ordinary ground tower. For the recent tests, engineers installed a small receiver in an overhead baggage compartment. Once mobile phones locked onto the receiver, they immediately powered down to their lowest possible settings, preventing the phones from interfering with avionics or callers outside the airplane.