Datalink has been in use over the Pacific for years. Why do the Europeans have to re-invent the wheel all the time?
Because the datalink in the Pacific is FANS-based and it only works in low-density airspace.
If we could stick FANS datalink into Europe, we would have done. But core airspace here is a touch busier than it is over the ocean blue.
Think of it as inventing a round wheel instead of the square one that you're currently stuck with.
