In 1996, Emirates Airline was the first carrier to put a phone in every aircraft seat. Twelve years later, it invested US$26 million to allow people to use their mobile phones on its planes.
At a rate of $5 a minute, Emirates allows its passengers who do not have roaming to make calls.
“People like to know for $5 a minute, I’ll just make a quick phone call, I’ll time it and then hang up,” says Patrick Brannelly, the vice-president of corporate communications marketing and brand product, publishing, digital and events at Emirates.
“We collect this money and we pay for the satellite time. We don’t make money. It’s seen as a service, because a lot of people don’t have global roaming on their mobile phone.”
By the end of last year, some 329 Middle East-based aircraft offered mobile services. Meanwhile, 199 aircraft offered both Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity, according to US-based IHS research.
Passengers who do have roaming on their cellphones can connect to their telecoms operator, such as Etisalat, Vodafone, and Orange. They usually pay different rates based on the prices set by their provider.
“I’ve seen some telcos charging less for their users to make phone calls on the aircraft. They charge less than what [the operators] are paying for it,” says Mr Brannelly.
“The reason is they know that if people get a massive phone bill they will think about changing their phone company,” he adds.
Onboard mobile communications is considered safe because it connects to what is called a “picocell” on the aircraft, which does not cause cockpit interference, says Heath Lockett, a senior analyst of aerospace at IHS.
The picocell acts as a small, local transmitter which is easily picked up by any cellular devices on the aircraft – as opposed to a regular transmitter on the ground, which may be too far away.
“Connecting to a picocell is considered safe, because without it cellphones emit larger amounts of power in an attempt to find a cell tower on the ground with which to communicate,” says Mr Lockett.
Despite the availability of in-flight calls they are not well regarded among passengers in much the same way as using a mobile in the cinema is thought of as inconsiderate to others.
“The major social issue for most people is onboard calling, but the evidence does show that this is not what passengers generally want to use cellular connectivity for,” says Mr Lockett. “Indeed, airlines are able to ban voice calls if they do provide a cellular link – and many do this already.”
And with passengers on board more inclined to text, check their emails and browse the internet, IHS says, the chances of hearing a loud chorus of “Shhhhhh” up and down the aisles are probably small.
selgazzar@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @Ind_Insights
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20Profile
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP5
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SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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AS IT STANDS IN POOL A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now