BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Passengers could soon be able to make cell phone calls during a flight using onboard transceivers, which are now being tested.

Chairman of Qualcomm is testing the cellphone.(Photo: CRIENGLISH/Sina.com)

    Through the use of an in-cabin third-generation "picocell" network, passengers on the test flight were able to place and receive calls as if they were on the ground, reported Sunday's CRI online.

    Calls are then linked to a gateway on the ground before being forwarded onto a normal cellular network.

    The test was jointly carried out by Qualcomm Incorporated and American Airlines.

    They demonstrated the in-flight phone system using cell phones compatible with the network standard Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA.

    Qualcomm says the system is also available to allow users on other networks to make calls, which might include the European GSM network standard.

    
(CRIENGLISH.com)