In message , at 22:34:19 on Thu, 5 Apr
2012, " remarked:
I think you'll find it's satellite everywhere. Apart from anything else
it's prohibited (in USA for example) to make cellular calls from an
aircraft, and the transnational billing issues would be a nightmare.

If I understand you correctly, your mobile on such flights hooks up
with a provider that the airline has contracted with. You will pay
quite handsomely for that service in any event, I'm sure.

One of the problems is that money has to flow from the subscriber to the
airline (via some transit providers) so you need to be in effect
"roaming" in a pseudo-country, or perhaps in a number range belonging to
a real country[1].

Which is fine, except some regulators might think that eg) on domestic
flights, or the not-yet-offshore parts of international flights, you
shouldn't be charged that much. The airlines would prefer you to be
charged extra as soon as the wheels leave the tarmac.

[1] I don't know where an Emirates call looks like it originated, on the
bill, something to investigate I think.
--
Roland Perry