Use of cell-phone to be allowed on Yiwu-Shenzhen flights

Is it allowed on a flight to call through cell-phones, chat online, and check and send E-mails? ”No” will be the most likely answer from those who often take planes . However, this seemingly impossible matter is be coming a reality . Quite recently, Shenzhen Air lines signed a contract with a Swiss air line company On Air for the cooperation over the realization of free communication on the high-flying planes before 2008 Beijing Olympic Games .

Once it comes true, passengers on the domestic flights can make cell phone calls, send messages, and even handle official business online . Hopefully, passengers can also enjoy making phone calls on the flights from Yiwu to Shenzhen before the Olympic Games. According to sources, when passengers use cell phones on the flight ,the expense will be charged based on international roaming rate only by the mobile communication manufacturers who have provided the service. But according to some insiders, due to the high cost in providing the service, the expense of using cell-phones and computers on flights must be higher than on land, ranging from 2 to 2.5 dollars per minute in international communication and about 50 cents in receiving or sending a message . Besides, the charge on the access to the Internet will also be high.

It is learned that the flight from Yiwu to Shenzhen is available once a week with about 80 passengers . According to interviews with some citizens who often take planes, although most of them showed great interest in making phone calls on flights, they might not do that considering the high charges. Some citizens also worried that once everybody can use cell-phones on board, the passenger’s cabin will become a noisy place.