Plane and simple – EU to allow calls on flights

[AlTech]

2 hours ago, Norrels said:

I would guess this has to do with security. All phones being on same WLAN doesn't sound very secure. At least in Finland usage of open WLAN is highly discouraged, there was big news not long ago and outcry when some government assistant revealed she used public WLAN like how that can even by and why on Earth would someone take such security risk and how incompetent some people are on security matters.

I haven't even seen anywhere any adverts or such for public WLAN althrough as remnants of the past from 10-15 years ago they still do exist in some malls.

Well that's why you create a random password and give people on the flight the password and not anybody else. So it's a secure WiFi network anf not open unprotected wifi.

2 hours ago, Norrels said:

After all everyone here has basically unlimited fast data anyway (at least in Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean countries and Germany might lag behind as usual) and their own connection so why not. Using WLAN, or Wi-Fi as it is branded, on the go is thing of mid 00s here.

Because in Western Europe not everyone has unlimited data?

[Norrels]

1 hour ago, AluminiumTech said:

Well that's why you create a random password and give people on the flight the password and not anybody else. So it's a secure WiFi network anf not open unprotected wifi.

Because in Western Europe not everyone has unlimited data?

Yes but they would be still on the same network, right? What's the stopping someone with malicious intent from buying in? Surely it stops teen prankers and such but not anyone more serious. Also there are bunch of attack vectors for WLAN, creating duplicate access point and so on which won't work just like that with cellular network which you can do with tools you have with yourself anyway, your phone. And both WPA2 and 3 have vulnerabilities and are cracked.

Surely you can technically get into cellular network as well but that would require totally different level, set of tools and budget for all that. 99% of threats cut out.

 

About subscriptions,

 

I can't say for every country in Europe and it's been a while since I checked but at least case used to be such that yes, not everyone in Western Europe. Gaming, IT and such has been statistically least popular in countries like Italy and Spain, there was this one survey and they have views about adult people who game like stereotypical 1980s views of nerds.

 

When EU made directive of making it possible for anyone from another country within EU to get subscription from another EU country and introduced price roof for data roaming to 60 or is it 65€ per month within EU there was a lot of talk about in Nordic will Western European and Mediterranean people flood them, buy limitless cheap subscriptions and use them home while ISPs will have to pay their ISPs for roaming.

So apparently they don't have or at least didn't use to not so long ago.

 

Nordics having top notch cheap internet was probably obvious whereas this might come as surprise but traditionally it's actually Western Europe that has been lagging from Eastern part what comes to IT and telecommunications and pricing, also in electronic services. Even likes of Romania at least were way ahead of likes of Italy. Yes, their population might only dream of powerful gaming PCs but rest was still there.

Germany is funny example, known for technology, auto industry and still like some development country what comes to IT. Yes they have some big software names but in reality it's closer to early 00s, at least was just a few year back, how all governmental and munincipal electronic services are (not) organized and so on.

Those hacked Win98 of was it Berlin, court and replacing them with mechanical typewriters was hilarious. And when was that, couple years back?

 

And to be exactly precise there are some limitations on data even in Nordics nowadays, in cheapest all around plans, like after 40-50GB you'll get throttled.

Then again for casual mobile phone use 40-50GB is more than enough and I would call it practically limitless. If it's not enough, get beefier subscription.

Subscriptions are actually cheaper in those Central and Eastern countries nowadays than in Nordics while they used to be cheaper if data amounts are counted in.

 

When I quickly glanced this situation hasn't changed much. Naturally you can get unlimited data anywhere, obviously it's question of cost, otherwise this whole topic is pointless. 40€+ for those is simply outrageous price.

 

If that's not the case and you know well situation of lets say Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany then please enlighten me. If they have progressed, great but that used to be case long time and it was all the same with plain GSM before mobile data went mainstream.