Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President Product Management GSM says: "GSM is the largest mobile communications standard in the world and is used in every country. Consumers demand coverage anytime and anywhere. This is why Ericsson now is making mobile telephony available on board aircrafts and ships."

Ericsson has developed an airborne version of the world's most sold radio base station in the RBS 2000 family, the RBS 2708. The new radio base station offers Ericsson state of the art quality and ease
of operation. Its functionally is identical to terrestrial systems and it has a well-recognized reliability.

For the traditional Ericsson customers - the telecom operators - the RBS 2708 will be 'just another cell' in the network. An operator can manage this system just as they handle all other radio base stations. Only a few special procedures will be required to operate this boost to revenues.

Airlines will be able to offer an added-value service to their passengers. The ordinary aircraft crew can handle the GSM on Aircraft system, with a minimum of extra workload, and allow passengers to place and receive calls when at cruising altitude.

Fully integrated with an Electromagnetic Screening Device (EMSD) and housed in an Avionics standard enclosure of ARINC 600 type, the equipment is easy to install and safe in operation: not interfering with neither avionics nor terrestrial radio networks. The system offers up to 60 simultaneous calls and also offers dual band support as an option.

The system is available for installations late this year.