The European Commission has set down a list of guidelines aimed at harmonising the licensing and technical requirements of using mobiles on-board aircraft.

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said she planned to create a regulatory “one-stop shop” for in-flight mobile usage to stop a patchwork of approaches emerging across different EU member states. This includes overseeing how EU states will grant national licenses to airlines allowing, for example, a French airline to offer mobile communications while flying over another country without having to apply for additional national licenses.

On a technical level, the EU plan defines in-flight networks using picocells for GSM handsets operating on 1800MHz. The planes will carry a network control unit to ensure services can only use the picocell and are prevented from attempting to register with mobile networks on the ground. The services will only be offered at altitudes over 3000 meters. Backhaul is provided by satellite.

Reding said she would not look to intervene on in-flight mobile pricing tariffs at this early stage, but noted that she would “closely monitor the levels and transparency of prices charged to consumers.” She also appealed to airlines and operators to “create the right conditions on board aircraft to ensure that those who want to use in-flight communication services do not disturb other passengers.”

The announcement comes after UK regulator Ofcom approved the use of mobile phones on flights operated by UK-registered planes last month. Airline Emirates also announced recently that it had conducted the world’s first legal in-flight mobile call during one of its flights. Emirates has invested a reported US$27 million to install the system on its aircrafts.