news hardware Smartphone: the real reason for the mandatory flight mode in flight
Airplane mode is aptly named and even fifteen years after the arrival of smartphones, it’s still illegal to use your cell phone’s network during a flight. Do you think you know why? The reason is quite different.
Airplane mode is still imposed by airlines
You are relaxed in your seat, the plane will soon accelerate. You have the urge to scroll through Twitter, but just as you begin your enriching read, a steward rushes up and grabs your iPhone, throwing it on the floor and kicking it multiple times. A traumatic experience but deserved.
As a matter of fact, It is forbidden to use your smartphone and especially the mobile network
At first glance, almost everyone thinks that the reason for this ban is that the waves generated by the cellular connection of smartphones can interfere with the waves necessary for the proper functioning of the aircraft. Or something like that. But in reality things have changed and if the rule still stands, it is for a very different reason.
4G and 5G on the ground could suffer
Avoiding risks from interference waves from electronic devices is not new. Back in 1992, the American Federation of Aviation and the company Boeing (manufacturer of commercial aircraft) completed a study proving this PCs or devices do not disturb the aircraft at all outside of the take-off and landing phases.
To ensure the shot, different frequencies are now used to separate device categories such as smartphones and computers from aircraft navigation systems. But then why do we always have to activate this famous mode?
The reason has to do with ground-based cellular data. As planes travel thousands of miles at full speed, devices connected to the cellular network connect to the towers below them. So having 300 people bind to the same tower at the same time can cause problems clear saturation.
It should not be assumed that these are just potential isolated cases. With approximately 2.2 billion passengers in 2021 and twice as many in 2019, That’s a colossal number of people capable of breaking into networks around the world.
The other (and relatively new) issue that comes closest to popular belief concerns 5G. As we know, 5G smartphones are developing at full speed, where 5G infrastructures take significantly longer. Result: Many mobile devices could connect to the same tower in 5G from an airplane. The saturations would only be more intense.
5G has a frequency significantly closer to that used by planes and airports to communicate and assist with landings, increasing the risks.
Few solutions, other problems
If it is not possible to use the network from an airplane, Some flights still offer Wi-Fi. But you see me coming These deals are far from perfect. First, they are expensive. Comparing with package prices in France we really feel like we have been deceived. Also the connection is bad. Can’t stream anything or make video calls.
A slightly frustrating situation, but a little less when we consider the other potential problems with the network on the plane. We introduce ourselves a slew of passengers shouting for silence on an airplane, but also a lack of attention to safety measures that are already sufficiently ignored.
