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Will In-Flight Cell Use Fly?
May 16, 2008 10:45 PM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The European Union has approved cell phone use on airplanes. There is no sign that decision will be echoed in the United States soon.
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The EU’s approval means airlines will be able to launch onboard cellular services later this year that are specially designed for safe in-flight use.
Several airlines, including British Midland Airways, Portugal’s TAP, Ryanair and Air France, have already expressed interest in offering cellular service for a fee.
One exception is Germany’s Lufthansa. It cites surveys suggesting that a majority of customers don't want to share a plane with people talking on their phones.
"People don't want to be disturbed," said Lufthansa spokesperson Jan Baerwalde.
Lufthansa isn’t alone in worrying about bothersome in-flight calls.
Justin Mann writes for TechSpot that “once people are allowed to make calls, and excessively noisy passengers start to annoy those sitting nearby,” the problem may prove a larger challenge than the technical problems of assuring a good phone connection on a plane.
However, this is a problem customers on U.S. flights don’t have to worry about—at least not yet.
Last year the Federal Communications Commission suggested holding off on lifting the in-flight calling ban in the United States because of the possibility of interference with aircraft operations.
But can a cell phone really bring down a plane? ABC’s “20/20” asked that very question in December.
Bill Strauss, an electromagnetic interference expert, explained that cell phones “emit strong radio signals that could cause false readouts on an airplane's navigational equipment.”
However, a plane crash has never been attributed to cell phone use.
Watch the AP coverage of the EU’s decision to allow cell phone use on airplanes.
Several airlines, including British Midland Airways, Portugal’s TAP, Ryanair and Air France, have already expressed interest in offering cellular service for a fee.
One exception is Germany’s Lufthansa. It cites surveys suggesting that a majority of customers don't want to share a plane with people talking on their phones.
"People don't want to be disturbed," said Lufthansa spokesperson Jan Baerwalde.
Lufthansa isn’t alone in worrying about bothersome in-flight calls.
Justin Mann writes for TechSpot that “once people are allowed to make calls, and excessively noisy passengers start to annoy those sitting nearby,” the problem may prove a larger challenge than the technical problems of assuring a good phone connection on a plane.
However, this is a problem customers on U.S. flights don’t have to worry about—at least not yet.
Last year the Federal Communications Commission suggested holding off on lifting the in-flight calling ban in the United States because of the possibility of interference with aircraft operations.
But can a cell phone really bring down a plane? ABC’s “20/20” asked that very question in December.
Bill Strauss, an electromagnetic interference expert, explained that cell phones “emit strong radio signals that could cause false readouts on an airplane's navigational equipment.”
However, a plane crash has never been attributed to cell phone use.
Watch the AP coverage of the EU’s decision to allow cell phone use on airplanes.
Headline Link: 'European Regulators OK Use of Cell Phones During Flights'
OnAir, a group affiliated with the airplane construction company Airbus, will provide most of the in-flight cellular service, allowing travelers to make telephone calls above 9,800 feet. But EU spokesman Martin Selmayr said that calls will not be allowed during take off, landing or turbulence, and that the flight crew will have the ability to switch the service off at any time.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Associated Press)
Related Topics: No cell use on U.S. carriers, but wi-fi coming soon
The FCC said it was “premature” to decide on whether to allow cell phone use in planes because “they had not received enough technical information from commenters to determine whether portable electronic devices would interfere with aircraft operations.” But the commission said that they may revisit the issue in the future if new data becomes available for review.
Source: CNET
An aviation safety database shows that pilots report “a handful of incidents each year” when cell phones or other electronic equipment could have caused problems during flight, according to “20/20.”
Source: 20/20 (ABC)
Although U.S. flights may not see cell phone use anytime soon, passengers could be firing up laptops and using wireless Internet service in the near future. This spring, Aircell, a company that sells air-to-ground equipment to airlines, will offer broadband wireless service to American Airlines passengers, with plans to expand service to Virgin America over the summer.
Source: The New York Times (registration may be required)
Opinion & Analysis: No more peace and quiet
The EU has not yet set guidelines for the “likely scenario” of cell phone users annoying other passengers on the plane, writes Justin Mann for TechSpot.
Source: TechSpot
“Noooooooooooooo. Yes. After six months of consultation by the European Commission, air travel in Europe is about to get a lot noisier,” writes Evan Shannon on the AOL technology blog Switched.
Source: Switched
When Aircell was developing plans to provide cell phone service to airline passengers in 2003 (which never came to fruition because of FCC regulations), Wired magazine offered a prediction of the results: “It's a full flight and it's busy. Young passengers pounce on their Game Boys. Business travelers tap away on laptop computers. And passengers are gabbing loudly—not to each other, but on their cell phones.”
Source: Wired
Railway commuter takes cell phone etiquette too far
“A Long Island Rail Road commuter fed up with his fellow riders' manners is arguing that he was justified in cursing at a passenger who was talking on his cell phone and in slapping another rider's hand when she intervened,” reports Newsday. John Clifford’s trial opened Monday. He is charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment in the March 2007 incident.
Source: Newsday
Reference: The FCC and resources for business travelers
The FCC provides the reasoning behind their ban on in-flight cell phone use on their Web site.
Source: FCC
FindingDulcinea has a Web guide for the busy traveler who wants to stay connected, including tips on where to find Internet access and which cellular providers offer the best deals for travelers.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2008 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
