In-flight calls , boon or bane

But the service is still facing a lot of problems .The technology, which allows cell phone users to make and receive calls through an on board base station linked to a satellite , delivers a patchy quality that restricts lengthy in-flight calls . Also to be taken into account are the rather steep roaming charges of up to three euros ($4.72) a minute .

Calls made from the ground to the plane ,however, tended to go directly to voice mail. To avoid interfering with the aircraftâℬ™s equipment ,only a handful of passengers could get a signal at one time OnAir , the company that supplies the technology , said that the number would soon double once technology improved .BlackBerry users trying to download email found themselves against a blank wall .

Meanwhile ,Lufthansa, Europe âℬ™s second largest carrier , said that its passengers are not too keen on this facility as they would rather have a quiet flight , especially those who have to go directly for business meetings .

Source : Gulf News