The situation is a bit different compared to how 5G has been rolling out in the US, which has actually caused flight cancellations and delays. In the UK and EU, there was no concern that the 5G signal would interfere with the equipment in the cockpit. “There is much less prospect of interference,” Dai Whittingham, chief executive of the UK Flight Safety Committee, told the BBC in December 2022, when the plan to nix airplane mode was first announced. “We have a different set of frequencies for 5G, and there are lower power settings than those that have been allowed in the US.”
With the availability of 5G in midair, passengers in the EU and UK now have full access to their mobile devices and no longer need to set their phone to airplane mode. This means they can use device functions that were once verboten, like accessing apps that stream videos—and even making phone calls mid-flight. “The traveling public wants 5G,” Whittingham told the BBC. “The regulators will open up that possibility, but there will be steps that will be taken to ensure that whatever they do is safe.”
What’s going on with 5G in the US?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) previously considered permitting in-flight calls and data usage in the US, but the proposed rule was struck down in 2020. Immediately following the European Commission’s announcement, in January 2023, the FAA mandated that airlines investigate the ways mobile 5G frequencies could affect airplane equipment, namely the ability of a 5G signal to interfere with a specific device called an altimeter. This device, which uses radio waves to give pilots readings on how far a plane is above the ground, is particularly crucial when landing in bad weather or low visibility.
Airlines were advised to update their radio altimeters to address potential interference issues with 5G C-Bands, and the entire American aviation industry has completed the retrofits to their fleets as of September 2023. But for now, using mobile data—including on 5G networks—is still not permitted on planes in the US.
Can you make phone calls or FaceTime on a plane?
In the United States, cell phone and video calls are not permitted on planes. “The FCC prohibits cellular phone calls on airborne aircraft,” an FAA spokesperson said in a statement. “FAA regulations require passengers to follow all crewmember safety instructions.”
For now, passengers in the US are relegated to paying for the plane’s Wi-Fi, which can be glitchy and slow. The limited Wi-Fi bandwidth is what keeps people from making FaceTime or WhatsApp calls to loved ones back on the ground, says Sagun—not technical safety concerns. (Well, that and social etiquette about making video calls in a shared space.)
“From a capability standpoints, if the carrier allows it and you’re using Wi-Fi when it’s available on the aircraft, it’s okay to [make a call],” Sagun says. But that won’t be possible in many areas. “Imagine a flight over the Pacific Ocean. They’re using satellite technology for their Wi-Fi, and the bandwidth to that satellite is more limited than it would be in a well-populated area with lots of radio antennae.”
