The European Commission gave airlines permission to offer their passengers Internet access via 3G and 4G connections so they can send emails and surf the Web while in flight.
"This means that from now onwards, spectrum for 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE) communications may be used above an altitude of 3,000 meters. Until now only 2G (GSM) has been permissible on-board aircraft flying in the E.U.," the Commission said in a news release on Thursday. To enable this, new rules have been adopted for aircraft flying over the European Union.
The Commission's announcement follows a decision by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which said on Wednesday that it will allow the use of personal electronics such as tablets, smartphones and e-readers during all phases of a flight. The rules will apply to all devices except bulky ones like laptops, which still need to be stowed during take-off, landing and taxiing, EASA said.
The agency will issue guidance on in-flight use of devices and the use of mobile broadband connections by the end of November.
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