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September 15 2004 -
Extract of Airbus Press Release :
Airbus has successfully completed the first in-flight trial of GSM personal
mobile- telephones aboard an airliner, paving the way for their future widespread use.
The trial, which took place aboard an Airbus A320 flight-test aircraft flying from, and back
to, Toulouse, is part of an ongoing technical development project to provide an in-flight mobile
telephony service to airline passengers.
In addition to tests for measurement purposes, functional tests were performed in which
several different GSM telephones were used simultaneously for both voice communications
and text messaging. The trials demonstrated successful communications to and from personal
mobile telephones onboard to mobile and fixed telephones on the ground, and to another mobile
telephone aboard.
The prototype equipment and software used in the trials were developed by Airbus supported by
the telecommunication specialist Icarelink. The signals from the mobile telephone went first
to a “picocell” inside the aircraft, next to a computer server that routed them through the
Globalstar satellite communications network to the ground, and finally to ground-based telephone networks.
The tests are a major milestone in the offering by Airbus of personal mobile telephones
aboard commercial aircraft from 2006. A key objective of Airbus is to provide passenger
connectivity at affordable prices. This will mean implementation of affordable technologies, as
well as cost-effective, flexible and personalised services for passengers in line with current
international mobile-telephone charges.
More information : info@icarelink.com LE MILLENAIRE 650, rue Louis LEPINE 34000 MONTPELLIER |