Roy Smith wrote:

Gord Beaman wrote:
Well, CJ, I wouldn't want you to pass up a good thing because of
incorrect info so perhaps you should check out about this
'illegal' thing. They have cell phones installed in the seat
backs of some commercial airliners for the use of passengers
(I've seen them but haven't used one) so they sure aren't
illegal,

These are not cell phones. They are attached to a ship-board
communications system which uses a satellite link (or possibly dedicated
ground stations) to patch you through to the terrestrial phone network.
Different system completely from cell phones.

Yes...dedicated ground stations...as I said Roy...actually I
believe that they utilize regular cel towers some of which are
equipped with somewhat different receiver systems...also there's
many fewer of them than regular cel service because of the
generally much longer range of the airbourne units.

It's quite a large budding service...there was a big writeup
about it in...?...'life' maybe?...awhile ago...


--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)