"If you think the Bizjet system is unique, wait until we release the airline system! For those airlines who cannot afford an entertainment system and do not want to pay up to $500K for an existing mobile phone solution, SafeCell will be the answer".
That's the quote that has prompted me to try and chase down SafeCell inventor Ron Chapman for an interview.
So what do we know at this juncture? According to a statement released by ASiQ, the SafeCell intellectual property "is a patent application and proof of concept to allow a mobile phone to be operated safely in-flight, by disabling a mobile phones primary transmitter and communicating via the mobile phones auxiliary communications port i.e. Bluetooth or USB SafeCell communicates with the ground via existing low cost (Iridium) satellite networks providing an inexpensive in-flight mobile phone messaging solution".
The offering "provides an alternative approach for corporate jet passengers to use their cell phones onboard aircraft without the requirement for installing complex and expensive GSM Picocell network infrastructure and jamming systems".
Significantly, as noted by Chapman above, the firm's aspirations don't end at the corporate crowd.
But here is my question - As commercial passengers learn the joys of AeroMobile and OnAir mobile connectivity (especially with SwiftBroadband), as well as in-flight Wi-Fi from the likes of Aircell and Row 44, will they be content with a less snazzy offering?
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