You can make/receive in-flight calls on planes soon

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation may soon allow domestic airlines to permit passengers to use mobile phones and access mail on PDAs while air-borne.

In India, Kingfisher Airlines could be the first airline to implement it. The airline has sought government permission and has started talks with German telephone equipment company OnAir to install technology allowing passengers to use GSM mobile phones while in the air.

Under this new technology, GSM phone signals will be transferred from the cabin through a satellite to a GSM network on earth and connect the in-flight caller to the receiver of the call.

Source: Business Standard