Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA announced today that it will provide mobile phone and wireless Internet services on flights this year. Passengers will also be able to access travel information, broadband telephone services and mobile banking.

The on-flight services will be provided by a new subsidiary, Call Norwegian AS. The company expects to launch these conveniences in the fourth quarter of this year.

“Call Norwegian will be an Internet-based mobile telephone company, and the products will be focused on primary mobile telephone services (network service),” Norwegian Air Shuttle said in a statement.

A French airliner announced last year that it was experimenting with on-flight mobile calls and services. Some fear that mobile phones may interfere with the communications and electronics of a flying plane so most air providers don’t allow wireless use. Others are concerned that making calls in an airplane is an annoyance for other passengers and should be banned to make flights more comfortable. But as people become more attached to their wireless devices it is inevitable that airlines will make adjustments. Wireless communication will allow business passengers to turn flight time into productive time. Others will be able to distract themselves with their gadgets to make flying less stressful.