U.S. To Consider Cellphone Use On Planes
Proposal Would Allow for Calls Above 10,000 Feet
The Federal Communications Commission will propose allowing passengers to use their cellphones on airplanes, people familiar with the matter said.
While phone use would still be restricted during takeoff and landing, the proposal would lift an FCC ban on airborne calls and cellular data use by passengers once a flight reaches 10,000 feet, an FCC official said.
The move comes just weeks after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would allow expanded use of electronic devices during flights, as technical concerns about the airborne use of gadgets fade. Yet it promises to raise a vigorous debate about the social merits of allowing people to make phone calls amid a captive audience at close quarters.
The proposal is scheduled to be discussed at the commission's December meeting. If implemented, it would then be up to the airlines to decide whether to allow voice calls.
In October, the FAA said it would allow passengers to use electronic devices such as e-books or tablets as long as wireless signals were disabled. The agency emphasized that cellphones must remain in airplane mode—with cellular transmissions shut off. Cellphones "cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations," the FAA said.
The proposal will be sent out in what's known as a Notice of Proposed Rule Making, in which the agency will invite comments on the idea before making a final decision. The entire process could take months.
When the FCC made a similar proposal in 2004, it received more than 8,000 comments. The FCC dropped the proposal in 2007 amid objections from flight attendants and other groups who said it would be a nuisance. The FCC also was concerned by a "lack of technical information upon which we may base a decision," according to its 2007 decision.
If adopted, the FCC's order would merely permit airlines to implement wireless technology on planes. It wouldn't require them to do so, and individual airlines would then decide whether to enable voice services on their flights. The FAA would still have to certify any new equipment
The technology to allow cellphone use on planes already exists and has been deployed internationally.