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12th July 2005 - Siemens has signed an exclusive contract
with Airbus to jointly develop a solution for the use
of in-flight communication via GSM. Siemens will provide the
GSM technology, while Airbus will take charge of its integration
in the existing electronics systems. In addition, Airbus
will be responsible for marketing the new solution to the
airlines and for maintenance. The commercial launch of this
new customer service is planned for 2006. This means Airbus
will now be able to offer the customers of the airlines full-time
availability while in the air.
A decisive factor in Airbus's choice of Siemens as its partner
in implementing this interesting service was the expertise
of the company in realizing complex projects and innovative,
customer-oriented technologies. With the integration of GSM,
airline passengers will in future be able to use their own
mobile devices for in-flight phone calls or Internet surfing.
During business flights in particular, but on private journeys
too, continuous availability is a decisive quality factor
for many passengers.
The GSM solution is implemented via a Siemens nano-GSM/GPRS
base station on the airplane attached behind the ceiling panel,
which allows reception for a mobile phone, PC or organizer
from any seat on the plane. The Siemens nano-GSM base station
is the smallest and lightest base station in the world. The
product is based on IP and is linked to the terrestrial GSM
mobile network with the aid of satellite technology.
An important prerequisite for implementing the solution is
the integration of channel selector technology. This
technology prevents the end devices from establishing contact
with terrestrial networks and hence interfering with the avionics
. It therefore ensures that radio communication from the airplane
is conducted solely via satellite . The new solution
will be modular in structure so that it can be expanded to
accommodate more GSM capacity and other technologies such
as WLAN.
"Being able to use their mobile phones onboard aircraft
has long been the wish of many passengers who often travel
on business flights and depend on mobile communication solutions",
explained Christoph Caselitz, President of the business segment
Mobile Networks at Siemens Communications. "We at Siemens
are working hard on mobile enterprise solutions that carriers
and service providers can make available to their customers
through wireless technology. The partnership between Siemens
and Airbus will ensure that this modern service is up and
running soon and will open up new sources of revenue for the
airlines."
About Siemens
Siemens Communications is one of the largest players in the
global telecommunications industry. Siemens is the only
provider in the market that offers its customers a full-range
portfolio, from devices for end users to complex network infrastructures
for enterprises and carriers as well as related services.
Siemens Communications is the world’s innovation leader
in convergent technologies, products and services for
wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. It is the largest
Group within Siemens and operates in more than 160 countries
around the world. In fiscal 2004 (year-end September 30),
its 60,000-strong workforce posted sales of approximately
18 billion euros.
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