FCC May Drop Plan To Lift Plane Phone Ban

Chairman Says It Is Unclear Whether Cell Phones Would Create Ground Interference

(CBS/AP)  The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission says the agency is considering dropping a proposal that would have lifted the ban on in-flight cell phone use.

The commission began considering removal of the ban in late 2004.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told reporters after a board meeting Thursday that the wireless telecommunications industry indicated in recent comments to the FCC that mobile phone calls in flying planes would interfere with their networks on the ground.

"The record was still unclear as to whether it would create interference, so at this time it doesn’t make as much sense to go forward," Martin told reporters.

An airline representative greeted the FCC's decision with ambivalence.

Tim Wagner, of American Airlines, told The New York Times he was worried about the "social implications," and that cell phone use might be more tolerable if it were reserved for certain areas of the plane or portions of the flight.

Two agencies claim regulatory jurisdiction over the issue. The FCC is focused on whether in-flight calling interferes with ground-based networks, while the Federal Aviation Administration considers safety issues.

Both agencies would have to approve lifting the ban for passengers to be able legally to make calls while in-flight, an FCC spokeswoman said.

[jimibear]

It's annoying enough to have to be on a train while some self-important prick is blathering the meaningless details of his utterly mundane life at the top of his lungs on a cell phone. One of the few times you can get away from that *** is in a plane.
The reason a cell conversation is more annoying than in-person chat is that the cell phone user does talk louder than someone just talking (yes, you do, even if you don't realize it), and also is in a sense rudely isolating himself from those around him and forcing others to listen to his conversation. People who use cell phones in restaurants need to be punched in the head. I am reminded of one of my favorite bumper stickers: "Would you drive better with that phone shoved up your a$$?"


I don't think anyone is suggesting that the plane would be "hurtled to the ground" by cellphone conversation, by the way, Jack Steen. The potential problem is that the cell phone transmission might interfere with broadcasts between the plane and the tower.

And quite apart from the annoyance factor, maybe you should remember that cell phones are commonly used as detonators for bombs. I don't think people should be allowed to carry them on planes at all. It would be all to easy for a suicide bomber to have explosives in his checked luggage, and to detonate it by cell phone from the passenger compartment.

[sjw1253]

re: paulyn44's reference to 911. This is another issue I contemplated as I read this. It was clear that the people who had cell phones were able to provide information to their loved ones and ultimately to the authorities who were able to figure out what was going on with all of the plane crashes during all of the shock and awe and extreme confusion as we all tried to figure out what on earth was happening...

[sjw1253]

I am curious about the bit upheaval of people speaking on cell phones. If the person on the other end of the phone were there in person - would people have a problem with them holding a conversation? It seems to me they would have to listen to "both" sides...

But... maybe that is the problem people have... They cannot relate to the "unknown" other party of a conversation.

In a restaurant... if many people are seated at a table ... they certainly make a lot more noise than one person sitting at a table speaking on a cell phone to someone while they eat...

I do agree that sometimes people do speak a little louder if the connection is not clear... but I can think of many times being in a restaurant where there is so much noise coming from different tables. What is the big deal with one person's voice. I think I would prefer that.

I am not sure if the people who talk about being tired of hearing other peoples' talks about their health issues are not upset because they can't see or hear the other person?

Another point of view to the topic.

[thgdriver]

I was at the barber shop recently the guy next to me was yakking away on his phone. After about five minutes, I asked the owner/barber if I could start singing beings I had to listen to the caller? He asked the caller to go outside. Seemed the Barber had no interest in my singing voice and was also annoyed by the caller.

[mlsbas]

Cell phones in places of public assembly, not just aircraft, should absolutely be banned.

If one wishes to nurture a self-importance of "needing" to be connected via cellular phone, one should have the courtesy to keep it private. Whether a shopping mall, theater, aircraft, bus, train, ad nauseum, they should be off.

It is difficult to imagine anyone who is so incredibly important - their life so on edge - that they MUST be connected 24 hours a day, without relief.

As posted on this site by another author, a brief respite from the annoyance of "yakkers" is welcome. Since proper decorum does not seem to exist across our society, perhaps legislation is needed to control the anti-social segment that believes they are the only person (along with their chatty friend) in the world.

Phones are for maintaining communications of value, not to serve as a social umbilicus.

[jacksteen1]

Victims of the 9/11 plane abductions called home by the DOZENS at the same time and were not hurtled to the ground by the 'interference' of their calls - - why ? It doesn't exist. It's pseudo-scientific nonsense cooked up by the regulators that want us under their thumbs.

What a bunch of *********.

[tucano2]

Since boobs have not tact and use cellphones in public places much to the annoyance of every decent human being around them I encourage the absolute ban of cell phones in planes trains busses and every other place where there may be a captive audience to the idiotic arrogance of cell phone users in such places.

[chipper777]

Just so you know, I think that peace and quiet are important too. However, Plans are getting bigger and improved. I think that a private call should be taken to certain set aside areas on plan where this can be done with taste. If others insist and do not follow plane rules and try using their phones in un-designated areas their phones should be confiscated!! Another thought is that on 911 on a couple of the planes people were able to phone their relatives and say goodbye or that they were in extreme danger. So, in this case would it be appropriate to have a phone taken away when the cries for help exist? Interesting. Also, there are millions of transmissions in radio waves in our atmosphere already, so how in the world can someone say, that the plane crashed because one person on the plane called home?

[alphaa10-2009]

barbara4 said, "I can imagine nothing worse than being trapped in a seat next to a chronic phone addict. Flying is uncomfortable enough without looking forward to that!
---

Next to having a root canal and staring into the masked face hovering inches away from yours, airline flight is the next level of modern torture.

On rollout and takeoff, you know you are lucky when nothing goes wrong with the aircraft powerplant and not one tire blows. As the plane levels off to cruising speed, you need to collect your wits and perhaps cautiously look out the window to see the tiny cars and trucks so faaaaaaaaar below.

And after facing eternity for a few brief moments, what none of us needs in this fragile moment of re-collection is some bozo yakking into a phone about the banalities of life.

[randalds]

"Chairman Says It Is Unclear Whether Cell Phones Would Create Ground Interference"

Maybe not, but it certainly would cause a huge upswing in on board violence! I used to rack up nearly 100,000 miles a year flying on business and loved the fact that for all of that time I was out of touch with the office. If I had to put up with some moron yakking away on his cell phone from L.A. to Toronto I'd sure as hell figure out a way to stuff thier as*s out the window!

[spammenot995]

Amen. Keep the ban. I don't want to hear any more intimate details about people's health, business, etc. - especially on a long flight. Overhearing all the yukky details of someone's yeast infection once led me to call out, "Thanks for sharing!" as the offender disappeared into another store aisle. Then I got the heck out of sight! :-)

[rf35]

Yep, cell phones are annoying enough. They need to be banned in more places, not fewer. I support the idea of placing cell phone jammers in movie theaters and certain "quiet" places like high-end restaurants. There is nothing more annoying than being in the middle of a movie and some dork flips open his phone and lights up three rows while he texts some inane message to another dork. And God help anyone who doesn't silence their phone or tries to talk on it during the movie. That will get me PO'ed enough to go hunt down the manager and have that person removed. If someone is so important that they can't be out of touch for 90 minutes, they shouldn't be going to movies in the first place.

[harrygett]

I say lift the ban. I want to be able to irritate my neighbors like they irritate me. Why should I be the only victim. Oh - and lift any rules about noise control too. I have a boom box I want to bring on the plane and it plays only two things: country and rap. It's good enough for some folks. It's good enough for you. Time's a-wasting. Come on FCC. Let's see how many dumb things you can do in a day.

[cathaleen]

Barbaraf4

Agree with you - you would have to listen to all these inane and loud conversations which would everyone up the wall.

[barbaraf4]

Well said, robopgmr!

I can imagine nothing worse than being trapped in a seat next to a chronic phone addict. Flying is uncomfortable enough without looking forward to that!

[kalatur2]

People routinely ignore the ban and use cell phones on planes. If this was really a problem we would have heard about the bad effect.

[robopgmr]

I say, keep the ban. I don't care to hear people%u2019s conversation in the grocery store, malls or restaurants%u2019 now so why would I want to listen to them on an air plane? There is nothing in this world that people need to talk about that they have to impose on other individuals%u2019 quiet area. People who think that what they are talking about is so important that they have no regard for others are self centered idiots.

[robopgmr]

I say, keep the ban. I don't care to hear people%u2019s conversation in the grocery store, malls or restaurants%u2019 now so why would I want to listen to them on an air plane? There is nothing in this world that people need to talk about that they have to impose on other individuals%u2019 quiet area. People who think that what they are talking about is so important that they have no regard for others are self centered idiots.