FCC Says No to using cellphones on Planes

[Fire14]

Air Passengers Won't Be Able To Use Cell Phones - FCC

Air passengers won't be able to use their cellular phones while in the air as the Federal Communications Commission is shutting down an investigation into the matter, Chairman Kevin Martin said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after the agency's monthly meeting, Martin said the FCC's investigation into whether there was a risk of interference with cell phone users on the ground if people were allowed to use their phones while in the air had proved inconclusive.

The inquiry into the matter has been outstanding for more than two years.

The Federal Aviation Authority has its own outstanding investigation into whether cell phones would interfere with airplane navigation and operation systems.

It would require both agencies to approve their use, before passengers would be allowed to use their phones on planes.

Technically, the report hasn't closed yet as Martin must receive the backing of at least two other commissioners, but an FCC official said later Thursday she didn't detect any opposition to the proposal.

www.cellular-news.com/story/22745.php

[Critic]

As I've been flying more and more often lately (which, in part, explains my absence on these forums), I for one hope the ban on phone calls stays in place. Air travel is unpleasant enough - the last thing I need on a 6 hour flight from Newark to San Francisco is a teenager yapping away on her blinged-out RAZR.

[ZaphodB]

Thank God. The people who truly need to be in touch can use the expensive phones in the seats on airlines that still provide them -- everybody else can shut up.

Besides the annoyance factor, imagine somebody locked up in the bathroom while their phone charges in the shaver outlet.

[WumpusVA]

Despite the ban I still text while I'm in the air.... It would drive me up the wall if voice usage was allowed on the planes.

[bobolito]

Originally Posted by Critic

As I've been flying more and more often lately (which, in part, explains my absence on these forums), I for one hope the ban on phone calls stays in place. Air travel is unpleasant enough - the last thing I need on a 6 hour flight from Newark to San Francisco is a teenager yapping away on her blinged-out RAZR.

Personally, looking at it from the opposite point of view, if I had the privilege to talk on the phone during a flight, I think I would feel a bit intimidated by a stranger in the seat next to mine listening to my private conversation. I don't like people listening to my phone conversations, so I usually lower my voice while on the phone if I know someone else is within my listening range. I know this is not the idea of many people so I know what you mean.

[hf1khal]

Originally Posted by bobolito

Personally, looking at it from the opposite point of view, if I had the privilege to talk on the phone during a flight, I think I would feel a bit intimidated by a stranger in the seat next to mine listening to my private conversation. I don't like people listening to my phone conversations, so I usually lower my voice while on the phone if I know someone else is within my listening range. I know this is not the idea of many people so I know what you mean.

I am happy that this will not happen. TO be honest with you, just look at the times when people get into the plan and use their phone untill the point that some one goes to tell them to shut it off. The never cared about the suroundings and every one can hear them. It sure is annoying at that point and would be very annoying if it would have been durring the flight. I for one, the flight is my chance for relaxation and not to be disturbed.

[bobolito]

Even if the FCC allowed it, I don't think it will be a problem because I'm sure carriers will ensure this type of "roaming" will be VERY expensive, similar to the roaming on cruise ships. So, you wouldn't see many people yapping away all along the flight. Plus, there's the issue with capacity. I'm sure there will be a limited number of channels so not many people would be able to talk at the same time.

What I would really like, though, is WiFi Internet access. That will certainly make my flights appear shorter. The only problem with that is some of us can figure out how to make a phone call from our laptops using VoIP which would basically replace a cell phone in the air.

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by bobolito

Personally, looking at it from the opposite point of view, if I had the privilege to talk on the phone during a flight, I think I would feel a bit intimidated by a stranger in the seat next to mine listening to my private conversation. I don't like people listening to my phone conversations, so I usually lower my voice while on the phone if I know someone else is within my listening range. I know this is not the idea of many people so I know what you mean.

I am the same way....I hate people being within earshot of my conversations, and especially THAT close as they are on planes. I couldn't whisper soft enough.

[Shizam76]

Originally Posted by Wumpusva

Despite the ban I still text while I'm in the air.... It would drive me up the wall if voice usage was allowed on the planes.

How is signal way up there? Does it jump around? How can you get a text out?

Remind me to check with you before my next flight, so I can make sure you are not on it

[bobolito]

He must be flying on those small planes that can't get past 10,000 feet. I can see it possible getting some signal up when flying above some rural or suburban areas where cell sites have a much longer range than in urban areas. You should be able to text although it is not that reliable since signal jumps up and down too much to hold a stable link, and you're moving too fast from one tower to the next, not to mention the potential interference due to your height and clear line of sight. But since cell phones keep on retrying failed SMS attempts, they eventually get through.

Now, if you are flying at 32,000+ feet on a commercial jet, don't come here spreading lies saying that you can send SMS. That only happens in movies and in your dreams! However, there's only a chance that you might succeed sending/receiving SMS while flying low during minutes before landing or after takeoff, but not a single chance when you are up cruising at 30+ thousand feet. There's no way.

[YourDream84]

Originally Posted by bobolito

He must be flying on those small planes that can't get past 10,000 feet. I can see it possible getting some signal up when flying above some rural or suburban areas where cell sites have a much longer range than in urban areas. You should be able to text although it is not that reliable since signal jumps up and down too much to hold a stable link, and you're moving too fast from one tower to the next, not to mention the potential interference due to your height and clear line of sight. But since cell phones keep on retrying failed SMS attempts, they eventually get through.

Now, if you are flying at 32,000+ feet on a commercial jet, don't come here spreading lies saying that you can send SMS. That only happens in movies and in your dreams! However, there's only a chance that you might succeed sending/receiving SMS while flying low during minutes before landing or after takeoff, but not a single chance when you are up cruising at 30+ thousand feet. There's no way.

I was thinking the same thing myself. I didn't understand the FCC debate to begin with, because even if they allowed usage of cells on planes, I've never known a person who could get service that far up anyway...

~*Ash*~

[Critic]

Originally Posted by YourDream84

I was thinking the same thing myself. I didn't understand the FCC debate to begin with, because even if they allowed usage of cells on planes, I've never known a person who could get service that far up anyway...

Assuming this ban were ever lifted, the airlines would have to 'enable' service on their higher-altitude flights with the installation of picocells and/or satellite uplinks. At 30,000 feet, travelling at normal cruising speeds, you'd be jumping towers so fast, your phone probably wouldn't be able to keep up (as Bobolito mentioned earlier). So additional equipment would have to be installed to serve as a bridge between the plane and the terrestrial wireless network. And THAT opens up a whole new set of issues as far as frequencies and technologies supported (do you support just CDMA, just GSM, or both? do you go with just US frequencies, or all world bands?). And all of THAT would result in either higher airfares (because don't think for a moment that the installation of all that equipment isn't going to get passed on to the consumer) or some partnering (meaning, for instance, that service would only be available to Verizon Wireless customers, because VZW supplied the equipment and technical support).

ZaphodB - the Verizon AirFone system you mentioned in an earlier post is now completely shut down. The hardware has been removed from nearly every Continental and AA flight I've been on in the last 6 months.

Bobolito - I, too, would hope that most people would have the good sense to have an internal filter regarding the kind of telephone conversation they'd like to have while sitting next to a total stranger, but I've found that more and more these days, those internal filters just don't exist.