U.S. Department of Transportation

Sixth Meeting of the Advisory Committee 

for Aviation Consumer Protection

Presentation of Kevin Rogers

29th October 2014
AeroMobile Communications Ltd

• Providing in-flight mobile connectivity systems since March 2008

• UK subsidiary of Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Lake Forest, 

CA)

• IMC equipment is certified airworthy by FAA and EASA

• Boeing and Airbus offer the system on a growing number of 

aircraft types as a catalogue item

SMS text Voice (calls, call 

alerts, voicemail)

Mobile data & 

emails
Business overview

• 13 airlines currently provide our IMC offering

• Many airlines have chosen not to offer voice –

 disabled by default in the ground network

• 269 aircraft, 500+ flights daily

• 270 roaming partners, including AT&T and TMobile
How it works

Satellites

Crew control panel allows 

management of services

To 

AeroMobile 

ground 

network

Cabin leaky feeder 

antenna provides 

uniform coverage 

throughout the 

aircraft

Satellite antenna for off 

aircraft communications

IMC Hardware 

Components

• The IMC system: GSM picocell, CRFMU and leeky feeder 

antenna (connected via satellite).
How it works, Continued.

• Operates only at cruise altitude (automatically disabled 

below cruise altitude).

• Airline chooses which IMC applications to enable (SMS 

text, email/data, voice); crew control panel provides the 

crew with “on-off” override for all services.

• The system is operated according to airline procedures 

and licenses approved in the airline’s country of origin.
International Passenger access to IMC

• Offering is available primarily on long-haul international 

flights of foreign airlines (there are no standards for U.S. 

domestic IMC operations)

• An international roaming model – akin to using your 

mobile device overseas 

• The passenger’s subscription must be “roaming 

enabled”

• Passenger’s wireless provider must have a roaming 

agreement with AeroMobile

• Prices are set and charged by the passenger’s 

wireless service provider
International Passenger access to IMC, Continued

• Voice is only one component of the IMC offering

• Airlines can limit IMC to text and data applications 

only – and many do so

• Vast majority of IMC use is text and data applications

• IMC significantly enhances the passenger experience

• IMC provides a familiar, cost-effective alternative to 

Wi-Fi connectivity

• FAA study on cell phone usage confirmed there have 

been no adverse impacts of voice service where 

offered – this is still accurate
IMC and Consumer Protection Concerns

• IMC is a complementary service to Wi-Fi and enables the 

same types of real-time connectivity used today on the 

ground and in the air

• Airlines add this amenity because it enhances the 

passenger experience

• Cabin crews are well-trained on use of the system

• Passengers are generally provided with information 

about IMC:

• In advance of the flight (through advertising and gate 

banners)

• During the flight (through announcements and 

information cards)
IMC and Consumer Protection Concerns, Continued

• When accessing IMC (through on-screen messages)

• By their home operator at least through a “Welcome 

SMS”

• The IMC offering is self regulating

• Usage on night flights is much lower than day flights

• Cabin crew can disable/enable any text, data and/or 

voice services 

• The airline can, and does, choose to deactivate voice

• AeroMobile is aware of no reported incidents of 

disruption
What airlines are doing What airlines are doing – Virgin Atlantic

Gate Banners Safety Video & IFE 

Seatback Magazine

Crew Training

Seatback Cards

AeroMobile Communications Ltd, Proprietary and Confidential
How do passengers use their mobile devices in-flight?

Number of IMC Users on flights to/from the U.S.

Airline

Number of 

Customers

Number of US 

Customers

% US 

Customers

A 22,127 5,211 24%

B 254,717 8,986 4%

C 118,341 15,671 13%

D 72,127 6,933 10%
How do passengers use their mobile devices in-flight? II

Number of IMC Users on flights to/from the U.S.

Of these, the percentage of 

customers who made an activity 

were:

For Airlines who are Voice 

Activated only

All 

Customers

US 

Customers

All 

Customers

US 

Customers

Data 54% 60% Data 52% 55%

SMS 42% 38% SMS 42% 41%

Calls 4% 2% Calls 6% 4%

Over the past 3 months flying regular routes to/from the 

United States, there is a significant presence of U.S. 

subscribers but limited voice usage
How do passengers use their mobile devices in-flight? III

529,000/637,506

users

303,000/284,174

calls made or received

1.2M/1.1M

sent

403,000/594,593

minutes

• Passenger connections to the AeroMobile system are 

increasing

• Overall usage of all IMC applications is increasing

• Average voice call is approximately two minutes

• There are still no reports of passenger complaints or 

disruptions
IMC and Consumer Protection Concerns

• There is no basis to conclude that a voice service, or 

IMC generally, raises aviation consumer protection 

concerns

• No reported disruption or other concerns regarding 

IMC availability, particularly in the context of 

widespread Wi-Fi availability

• No unfair or deceptive practices associated with 

IMC availability 

• Data and SMS (“quiet services”) constitute 80%+ of 

IMC usage when measured across the entire installed 

fleet
IMC and Consumer Protection Concerns, Continued

• Only 20% is “voice” service (calls, call alerts and 

access to voicemail)

• Much of the voice service is “listen only” 

• Measured across various airlines (those operating 

many routes to/from the USA) “voice” usage is 

even lower

• Data from various foreign airlines serving routes to 

and from the United States with significant U.S. 

passenger presence 
In conclusion

• IMC has been in operation since 2008 and provides a 

competitive and complementary alternative to 

existing WiFi-based connectivity options .

• U.S. subscribers are frequent users of IMC – including 

voice -- without incident, albeit only on foreign 

airlines and outside U.S. airspace.

• Data and text dominate passenger usage and several 

U.S. airlines have announced that they would not 

offer voice if IMC becomes available.
In conclusion, Continued

• Foreign administrations have left the decision of 

which IMC applications to offer, including voice, to 

their respective airlines.

• U.S. airlines should be given the opportunity to 

choose a) whether to install IMC systems and b) 

which IMC services to offer their passengers, at least 

on long haul international flights.