FEDS CONSIDER ALLOWING CELL PHONE CALLS ON PLANES...

Drudge ^ | 10-09-2004 | linked by Drudge

[Hardastarboard]

Great. Now I can curse my cell phone for lost signals while I'm airborne.

[I_dmc]

I was thinking of a Sat relay, yep. I would think it would make more sense than accomodating cell transmissions from the cabin, regular or sat. Possibly adding shielding to surround cabin, if electromagnetic interference could pose any risk to avionics, the plane's comm gear, or its electronic systems. There are many computers on planes these days. Shielding would also prevent any possible interference by passenger electronic devices. If I recall correctly, the insulation used is commonly metallic anyway. How difficult could a copper screen layer be?

[Proud_texan]

"All the "martyr" on board needs is a cell-phone to activate it."

Or they could use the official airline approved phone since they won't have the pay the $10 a minute cost.

[aviator]

The average cell phone will drop all calls soon after airborne anyway.

[raybbr]

....but at some point, we have to be able to put them down and talk to another human face to face or be polite enough to realize an entire plane load of people doesn't care about your personal or professional business.

Your thinking isn't Luddite - it's passe. Don't you realize that information is more important than the silly notion of an interactive society? Very soon the only people that count will be those connected to the hive via a wireless implant that allows them to instantly access "the computer". Just think - e-mails redefined as "e"lectroencephalograph transmissions. Someone can just telepathically send you a message. Through the mainframe, of course. Where it will be closely monitored for hate crime thought, anything that isn't politcally correct and naturally, anything that is negative to "the government".

Sorry, my imagination took over.

[Lil'freeper]

I watch men in dark suits pace the waiting areas in airports with ear pieces in talking with only God knows who. How did we ever live before the cell phone?

I shake my head at the people who make a big deal of talking loudly and dropping all kinds of jargon and buzzwords just to make sure that everyone else in the area knows just how important and knowledgable they are. They talk even louder on conference calls (and everybody in the gate area soon learns the names of *every* participant...).

But it's all about being seen, imo. And I'm never impressed.

[Wurlitzer]

"The network is designed to pass a mobile user from one cell to the next....once the aircraft is at altitude the computer that passes off calls will become confused because it is not expecting a call from overhead...the signal strength will appear to be equal at several "receiving" cell towers....hence the likelyhood of dropped calls is raised significantly. "

Finally, someone who truly understands why they were banned in the first place. The cell co. requested this because the software could not handle more the 3(I think that was the number) towers picking up a single phone.

[wai-ming]

Didn't some of the victims on 9/11 use cell phones to contact people on the ground?

If my plane were being taken over by terrorists, I would want some link to the outside.

[Woodman]

Why couldn't someone just call the phone in the luggage from the ground (assuming it was on)?

[Jet Jaguar]

Bingo!

[OXENinFLA]

Do this include the Pilot too?


};O)

[Glenn]

Mrs. Olsen and others got in their last goodbyes on cell phones, didn't they? I'd like the option if the time came.

[Taildraggin]

I've tried it in a Cessna, I couldn't hear very well. I needed to tie it into the intercom system so I could use my headset with it.

[Pylot]

It is the discretion of the pilot in command to allow or disallow the use of any electronic device on a plane.

[Walkin Man]

"Can you imagine being in the middle seat between two business people making phone calls for 3 hours?"

Yeah that would stink.

Just what the airlines need, another reason not to fly!