5G in-flight: EU scraps the need for Airplane Mode from 2023

Long flights are exactly the time when you really want to stream a new show or album, but unless you've downloaded it in advance you're usually out of luck. While some flights offer Wi-Fi it's often slow, expensive and doesn't allow streaming. 

Luckily accessing your data when in the air is all about to change, at least in Europe. The European Commission is ruled that 5G technology can now be used onboard planes, allowing passengers to access their data at top speed. No more Airplane Mode!

According to the BBC, the frequencies of 5G across Europe and the UK have lower power than those used in the US. While there was concern that 5G signals could interfere with automatic flight control systems in the US, that's not the case for European bandwidths. This does mean that while you will be able to use your phone when flying across Europe, you'll still be asked to switch off on transatlantic flights – for now at least. 

Opening up these 5G channels to use in the air means that passengers could be able to connect to towers directly on the ground, rather than relying on a satellite link in between. Hopefully, there will still be sensible restrictions on making voice and video calls in the air to stop the flight from getting noisy, but being able to stream is a huge bonus. 

The only downside of course is that if you're travelling for work, you will now be contactable throughout your journey. I might need to come up with a new excuse for why I can't answer that email straight away.