Cell phones may be allowed on airplane flights

[Joe]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Federal Communications Commission said that at its Dec. 15 meeting it will discuss possible revisions to rules prohibiting cell phone use on commercial flights. That's the first step of the process needed to lift the ban.

Cell phone use has been banned due to concerns about how it could affect an aircraft's navigation. And cell phones sometimes have trouble working when the plane is at cruising altitude because phone towers aren't built to project their signals that high.

The FCC rules have less to do with the effects on a plane's navigation than concerns that cell phones on planes could wreak havoc with cell phone systems on the ground.

While the FCC will start considering the issue next week, don't expect a decision anytime soon. The agency will have a lengthy review period, and according to one FCC spokesperson, this review period will last well into next year. Ultimately however, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will make its own decision.

The FAA says there's no proof that cell phone use on commercial flights is safe and is currently conducting its own studies. The issue is whether the signals from the phones will interfere with the pilot's ability to navigate the plane.

The RTCA, an organization that advises the FAA on technical matters, has been researching this issue. Their final report is scheduled for 2006. That report will then factor in the FAA decision, therefore a decision before 2006 would be unlikely.

But airlines eager to attract business flyers have been looking for ways to keep customers connected to the ground while in flight, including Internet and cell phones.

In July, American Airlines (Research) and cell phone maker Qualcomm (Research) held a demonstration in which in-cabin calls were made using commercially available cell phones through a small cellular base on board that connected to worldwide terrestrial phone networks.

The passengers on the plane could both receive and make calls while on the flight.

Among those making calls on that two-hour flight were government officials, executives of the two companies and reporters.

American Airlines said at that time that regular commercial application of the tested technology was at least two years away.

But the idea of having cell phones allowed on flights worried some flyers, who said they dreaded being next to someone having a loud and prolonged conversation.

"Can you imagine being in the middle seat between two business people making phone calls for 3 hours?" said Les Glass in an e-mail to CNN/Money. "What are the airlines and the FCC thinking?"

One reader suggested that to allow cell phones increased the risk of violence on board planes due to confrontations between passengers. Others suggested that cell phones only be allowed in a segregated area of the cabin.

[Admiral Valdemar]

So long as this marvellous display of rational thought is kept within America's border, I care not.

[Master of Ossus]

I doubt the phone companies will go for this. Thankfully.

[Beowulf]

Isn't one of the bigger problems the fact that you pass through a cell relatively fast, requiring that your phone constantly register itself with a new tower, running down batteries mighty quick while playing hob with the phone companies' computers?

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

I think it's a plan to stop terrorists from hijacking planes. With the prospect of a 5-hour flight with dozens of people yapping on their cell phones, perhaps they won't want to ride on a plane.

[aerius]

Fucking hell. If assholes can use their cell phones on planes I'm never flying to the States again. As if in-flight music, TV, and food isn't bad enough already.

[AMX]

Isn't one of the bigger problems the fact that you pass through a cell relatively fast, requiring that your phone constantly register itself with a new tower, running down batteries mighty quick while playing hob with the phone companies' computers?

Um...

In July, American Airlines (Research) and cell phone maker Qualcomm (Research) held a demonstration in which in-cabin calls were made using commercially available cell phones through a small cellular base on board that connected to worldwide terrestrial phone networks.

The plane would have it's own built-in "tower".

[The Third Man]

Isn't one of the bigger problems the fact that you pass through a cell relatively fast, requiring that your phone constantly register itself with a new tower, running down batteries mighty quick while playing hob with the phone companies' computers?

I think that would be the case. However, they appear to be talking about a "base" on the airplane, presumably this is a solution to the problem.

Personally I think this is good news, for me, the sooner airborne cell calls are possible in Europe the better.

[Broomstick]

I doubt the phone companies will go for this. Thankfully.

Are you kidding? There's money to be made! Of course they want people to use cell phones on airplane, use up their minutes, and make cell use even more profitable for the cell companies.

Isn't one of the bigger problems the fact that you pass through a cell relatively fast, requiring that your phone constantly register itself with a new tower, running down batteries mighty quick while playing hob with the phone companies' computers?

Yes, that has been a problem in the past, but it looks like the technical details are being worked out (base station on the airplane itself, possibly upgrading tower software, etc.)

Personally, the connected-all-the-time mindset is starting to piss me off. I mean, yes, I have a cellphone and I do use it for conversations with friends and family - in my own home. But outside the house it's used strictly for utilitarian purposes "Honey, I'm on my way home but there's this accident up ahead and I have to make a detour. Don't worry. Kiss-kiss-I-love-you, gotta drive, bye." Or maybe "Hello? XXX airport? I'm going to be a little late getting back because I had to land in someone's backyard. I'll call you back with an update. Bye." That sort of thing.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but when I'm out experiencing the world I want to be embedded in reality, not some virtual realm. >sigh< Guess I'm getting old....

NOW those of us at the office get a break from the big guys calling in every 10 minutes. "The VP is on the airplane! It's taking off! That's 90 minutes of blessed relief from the phone! Aaaaaaah......" And really, it wouldn't kill those execs to shut up and try to relax now and again. Or catch up on paperwork or reference reading or whatever.

Not to mention the hell of being stuck next to the phone conversation from hell: "... and then I have these hemmorhoids, and I went to the doctor and he had to take a look at them so he put on a rubber glove and lubed up his hand and he ---" AAAAAAAAGH!!!!

[bohemianfey]

People talking on their cell phones doesn't bother me in the least. I say let them do it. I doubt it will pass, but I don't see the big deal. It's better than sitting next to a gabby nun (which I've done). Furthermore, if they're talking on their cell they won't try to get know you, which is entirely annoying.

[GySgt. Hartman]

Do they allow USB-sticks on planes or are they banned for some reason related to terror? If not, you could at least listen to music instead of some peoples mindless talk about their last pedicure.

The one ray of light over the horizon is that plane calls probably will be really expensive, they are out-of-country calls, and after the first news reports of people that were impoverished by phone bills on-plane calls will drastically decrease.

[Master of Ossus]

I doubt the phone companies will go for this. Thankfully.

Are you kidding? There's money to be made! Of course they want people to use cell phones on airplane, use up their minutes, and make cell use even more profitable for the cell companies.

Actually, there's money to be lost. That's the whole point: if you have a cell phone at 40,000 feet, it ties up a far greater number of receivers than a cell phone on the ground due to the much larger horizon. For that reason, cell phone calls at that altitude cost providers substantial sums of money, which is also why they provide those on-plane phones.

[Broomstick]

Um... no.

The technical fixes are so the phones will only "hit" one tower at a time. It's not the multiple hits cost money so much as tie up frequencies - not a problem when you have just a few phones, but a problem when (as now) there are many. But, apparently, fixable.

The really expensive on-board phones? Those are expensive because 1) you have a captive audience and 2) they are FAA certified not to interfere with the airplane electronics, and such certification costs money. But, mostly, I suspect #1 - Amtrak also has on-train phones and while it's been many years since I knew anyone who used one, the fees were excessive on those as well. Since it was a ground-based system, it was NOT a problem of altitude, multiple tower contacts, or the FAA. If I recall, the cost was $12 a minute.