European low fare airline Ryanair plans to offer cell phone and satellite broadband connections by the second half of next year. 

Passengers will be able to call, text and e-mail using their mobile phones, BlackBerrys and Treos at international roaming rates. 

The service, developed by OnAir, will be offered on all of Ryanair flights of more than 360 routes serving 23 countries across Europe. 

OnAir plans to fit 50 Ryanair aircraft with the service during 2007, with the remainder of the fleet receiving installations in early 2008. 

The onboard technology will connect to satellite broadband links and a ground network to be supplied by OnAir's infrastructure partner, Monaco Telecom. 

"The revenues generated by onboard mobile telephony will reduce our costs and help us to keep offering the lowest fares in Europe," Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said in a statement. 

In the United States, JetBlue Airways and AirCell, a Colorado-based technology firm, are developing plans for similar services after they won air-to-ground spectrum licenses in a June Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auction. 

JetBlue won 1 MHz of spectrum for $7 million while AirCell captured 3 MHz with a bid of $31.3 million. 

The onboard technology will connect to satellite broadband links and a ground network to be supplied by OnAir's infrastructure partner, Monaco Telecom. 

"The revenues generated by onboard mobile telephony will reduce our costs and help us to keep offering the lowest fares in Europe," Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said in a statement. 

In the United States, JetBlue Airways and AirCell, a Colorado-based technology firm, are developing plans for similar services after they won air-to-ground spectrum licenses in a June Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auction. 

JetBlue won 1 MHz of spectrum for $7 million while AirCell captured 3 MHz with a bid of $31.3 million.