Australian air travellers will soon be able to "tweet" from their domestic airline seat after the communications watchdog gave the green light for mobiles to be used during flights.

The new ruling by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is set to revolutionise airline travel and bring Australia into line with other countries that have enjoyed the technology for some time.

After close consultation with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which has raised no technical objections to the new arrangements, airline passengers may soon be able to text, check email and use data during flights.

This certainly asks the question what has changed to enable this to occur, as until now airline staff have been very, very stringent on this matter.

The answer is a new device called 'pico-cell'. The pico-cell control unit blocks onboard mobile handsets from receiving signals from terrestrial base stations and the pico-cell acts as a base station and transmitting to terrestrial networks via satellite.

The pico-cell is a small low-powered transceiver inside the aircraft that interacts with the satellite and links to passengers' handsets. Currently illegal mobile phone jammers would be used to prevent the mobiles connecting directly to Australia's terrestrial mobile networks, such as Telstra's Next G, or the Optus and VHA 3G networks.

Using the satellite system would mean users are up for international roaming charges even though they wouldn't leave Australia. But the system already in use in many parts of the world limits mobile use to GSM-based voice, SMS messaging and email, via the slow and outdated GPRS system. GPRS, or general packet radio service, is a 2G concept introduced in 2000.

Users can transmit data at a maximum 120 kilobits per second.

Old technology?

That may have been pretty whiz-bang 10 years ago, but it is tortoise-like when compared with the 3Mbps, 4Mbps or even 10Mbps that users of 3G mobile services commonly enjoy today.

High-speed internet connections are plainly impossible using GPRS.

Although some telcos have concerns the market will be dominated by an international carrier that regulates communication through a device called pico-cell, ACMA has said it will consider alternative technologies, as long as they don't compromise safety and meet approved standards.

"The Australian Communications and Media Authority has finalised radio communications licensing arrangements to facilitate mobile communication services on aircraft," ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman said.

"The licensing arrangements will allow airlines to deploy mobile communication services on their aircraft through special on-board systems, should they choose to do so.

"In developing these arrangements, the ACMA was conscious of the need for harmonisation with aviation safety regulations and the protection of terrestrial communications networks from interference."

So far, only one carrier, Aeromobile, a subsidiary of Norwegian telco Telenor, is able to provide the service, which will cost users international roaming charges - despite the communications taking place in domestic skies.

V Australia had announced plans to offer onboard SMS and data services subject to the ACMA making appropriate regulatory arrangements (which the licensing arrangements now facilitate), ACMA said.

Sky High prices for sky high services.

Be wary though, it's said that Texts alone can be five to 10 times the price of standards texts, with calls being even more.

Supossedly, there would be no international roaming charges: just a small fee charged by the airline -- perhaps $10 or $15 for most flights. Downloads would be covered by the users' normal monthly fees with their carrier.

Similar services already are widely used in North America, where more than half the major domestic airlines offer in-flight high-speed WiFi connections.

The most popular service, dubbed GoGo, is marketed by an outfit called Aircell.

GoGo links to on-ground mobile networking towers spread across US flight paths.

Most airlines charge $US9.95 (about $10.80) to connect a laptop, a bit less for handhelds, for a long-haul flight.

Alaska Airlines, which has just signed up, intends to charge $US4.95 on shorter flights.

So what do you think?

Will you be prepared to pay that much extra to text, tweet and surf the net mid air?

Can you imagine how many irritating conversations you'll hear when you're trying to read or sleep?

Have you used any of these servies internationally?

See more airline travel news: http://urbanglobetrotter.posterous.com/virgin-blue-on-the-money

AIRLINE WARS HOT UP: http://urbanglobetrotter.posterous.com/australian-airline-wars-hot-up