The European Commission is opening the door for European airlines to begin offering inflight 5G connectivity, the organization has announced, by allocating certain spectrum for inflight 5G as well as “previous mobile technology generations.” Passengers will connect to an on-board pico-cell base station, which then connects to ground-based networks via satellite.“The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity.” The Commission’s announcement does not offer details on exactly when 5G services may become available to flyers.“The sky is no longer a limit”Although passengers have historically been told to put their devices in “Airplane Mode” while onboard flights, the rules have been relaxed in recent years.In the US the relationship between 5G and the air travel industry has been more fraught, with airlines expressing concern earlier this year that the rollout of new 5G spectrum near airports risked disrupting sensitive inflight equipment.The spectrum rollout is now expected to happen by the middle of next year, giving airlines time to retrofit their planes with equipment that isn’t sensitive to the frequencies used."