FCC Considering Phone Calls on Planes Above 10,000 Feet

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InvalidError

Titan
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With the amount of aluminum and carbon fiber between the passenger compartment and instrumentation wiring, I would be really curious to see how much of a 1W transmitter's power can actually manage to get coupled into unshielded wiring outside the passenger cabin.
 

COLGeek

Cybernaut
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I travel often. Honestly, I see no good coming from this policy. Just imagine how many yahoos will call all their friends just to say, "Guess where I am?" and how many business types will talk way too loud, way too long.

Lots of complaints shall follow.
 

invlem

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Use of cell phones on airplanes for everything but making phone calls - yes
Making calls - noooooooo!

Let people browse the internet, write emails, etc. Actual phone calls will just irritate the crap out of everyone 5 rows in each direction of the caller.
 
They should come up with a phone booth area on the plane, acoustically insulated from the rest.
I know, almost impossible given the premium per square inch on an airplane (and the trend of turning planes into little more than flying people-herding buses), but until there is something similar to that, this phone conversation idea on a plane is just plain ridiculous. Why allow something like that, when it's common policy (and common sense) to put your phone on mute in any public enclosed space (theaters, concert halls, restaurants, etc)?
 

anti-painkilla

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4. Cell phones may not be used for voice communications.

This is a must. Last thing you want is someone talking on the phone for the whole flight? Maybe airlines could have a 'calling' room. For those that need to do it for business? Pay per minute? For some this will be well worth it, for other is will stop unnecessary calls.
 

InvalidError

Titan
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Pay-per-byte/minute for airplane voice and data is pretty much guaranteed since in-flight broadband and voice will rely on in-cabin femtocells and those femtocells will require satellite back-haul since ground-based towers will not be in-range of in-flight planes most of the time and even when they are, they won't be in-range long enough for calls and data to follow.
 
People don't need to talk on the phone 15000 feet plus in the air that's total nonsense and they can wait till they land. Wireless interference. Cellular terrorism, social annoyance all point out its a bad idea.
 

jblack

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<quote> 4. Cell phones may not be used for voice communications.</quote>


:-( I guess I can't use VoIP to make calls on the plane right now :-(. I kind of wanted to do it just to see the flight attendant freak out.
 
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