Texting at 10,000 feet could become a reality soon, according to NBC News. Gogo, a Wi-Fi service provider for airplanes, allowed representatives from CNBC to try its phone service on a test flight. They reported clear calls and successfully sent texts.
"There is strong demand for this service and the ability to text in flight," Brad Jaehn, vice president of Gogo said. "We think a lot of our users will want to have the option to text while in flight."
According to Gogo, nearly 80 percent of its customers were interested in texting during flights, though other surveys show people generally feel the opposite when it comes to phone calls, NBC reported. Jaehn said U.S. companies are likely to restrict phone use to texting only, while international airlines may be more lenient.
Gogo's plans coincide with new, more relaxed standards from the Federal Aviation Administration last week regarding phone use and other electronic devices on airplanes, according to NBC.
Only at 10,000 feet does the company's service activate, according to NBC. At that altitude, cellular devices are linked to the plane's hardware and software. Because of this feature, Gogo's service circumvents the FAA's continued prohibition on phone calls during airplanes.
Most of the calls were as clear as if they were made on the ground, according to CNBC's test run; only a few had some sort of interference. Pricing for airlines and costs to customers remains to be determined. Current subscribers of Gogo can go online and send and receive emails while flying.
