Ofcom, the UK's telecoms regulator, has approved the use of mobile phones aboard planes operating in European airspace.
The decision means that airlines can allow passengers to make mobile calls on a UK-registered aircraft, upon reaching an altitude of 3,000 meters, if they choose to do so. Any hardware installed on aircraft must be approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency, however.
Ofcom stated that airlines will offer 2G network services initially, with the possibility of 3G services being introduced at a later date.