Backpacking travelers could be allowed to use mobile phones on aircraft departing and arriving in the UK within months, subject to approval by regulators.
The UK's communications regulator Ofcom last week approved the use of mobile phones on airplanes.
It announced that it would licence the necessary equipment for the provision of services on routes in the UK, but a final roll out of the technology will be conditional on approval by the Civil Aviation Authority (CCA) and EU regulators.
However, the approval came with a warning for budget travelers that prices for calls on flights are likely to be higher than ordinary service calls.
"Ofcom will be talking to all concerned parties to understand what steps can be taken to ensure consumers understand the costs of making calls from on board an aircraft," the regulator said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is in the process of introducing legislation that would ban the use of mobile phones on aircraft in the US.
Representative Peter DeFazio told vnunet.com: "The public doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already over-packed airplane."
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