European Commission announces new decision to allow airlines to provide 5G services on their planes

The European Commission has permitted airlines to offer 5G services on planes, allowing passengers to access voice and data communication via mobile phones while flying across the EU. Member states are required to allocate 5G frequency bands for airplanes by June 2023.

The European Commission has announced that airlines would be able to provide 5G technologies on their planes when flying across the EU. An update to a Commission implementing decision on spectrum for mobile communications on-board aircrafts now designated certain frequencies for in-flight 5G technologies, meaning that passengers will be able to use their mobile phones for both voice and data communications while aboard flights in the EU. It appears that member states have until June 2023 to make 5G frequency bands available for planes.