USING MOBILES ON AIRCRAFT
2G (GSM) phones will be able to use the system for data, voice and text services. If the service is successful it could be extended to 3G and other standards in the future. Ofcom proposes to allow the use of these systems by amending the aircraft operators' existing Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 licences.
Thus, it would seem legality is tied to the operatror's Licence
I was reliably informed that the advice in Switzerland is now that mobile phones should be left on in flight, as it is a much more reliable way of finding an accident site than an ELT.
Haven't seen an Austrian VFR chart in a couple of years, but they did print the phone nos of the various ATC units on it, so you could call them in-flight in case of radio failure.
Personally have used mobile phone in flight in various locations with varying success. It appears that the sparser populated the area, hence fewer towers, gives you a higher altitude from which to connect. The reason was once explained to me by a network guy. He claimed that the problem was that from an airborne position the phone would 'see' too many towers (cells) and try to log on to all of them. Which, in turn, screws the network.
