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Cell Phones on Commercial Flights by 2006?
NetCurl writes "I heard the news on MPR's Marketplace today. Apparently the non-profit Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics is studying the effects of wireless and other portable communications devices on commercial airliners. I've already noticed that a couple airlines have loosened requirements on when you can use your cell phone on the ground. Is the next step wireless access in the cabin, and loud cell phone chatter in the skies over the mid-west?"
I don't want to be surrounded by people on the plane yakking into their cellphones. If cellphones are allowed the cabin noise will be insane.
Cell phone technology is based in part by determining which tower can hit you with the strongest signal, as each tower represents a 3-8 mile block of space.
When you're 50,000 feet in the air, you're 8 miles off the ground, and usually moving at a pretty nice rate of speed as well. Will cellular towers be able to properly figure out which tower should be handling the call, and properly do the tower-to-tower handoffs we take for granted when moving down the highway?
I always thought that the no-cell-phones-in-the-sky rules were not just to protect the plane from the unlikely but deadly random autopilot interference, but also to protect the cell networks on the ground from what would be sure to be frequent confusing situations.
An idea might be to use micro-cell sites, similar to those they use inside buildings and basements. The airline owner then operates the micro-site and can charge customers for in-flight use accordingly.
Because when you're talking to someone on a phone, especially in a moving jet, you're going to have to talk over the noise and reduced signal strength.
Whisper into your phone the next time you're driving and see if the person on the other side can hear you. Or plug in some amplified speakers on the plane so everyone can hear the movie. See how well that all goes over.
Now I've got no problem with casual use, but we all know how that's going to end up.
The last plane I was one it was pretty useless to chat with others mostly because me and my buddies were back in coach. I don't know what it's like up in the clouds (first class) but talking on a cell phone is a pretty much non-issue with the engines cranked up right outside your window.
Thus, an iPod is a much better traveling companion!
If we get cell phones legalized on aircraft, that will be start of getting other devices to be allowed for use. Like Portable TVs, Walkmans, GPS Receivers, Wifi cards, satelite phones, radio scanners, etc. Anyone else believe in the whole US/UK information blackout during commerical flights theory? I do. Isn't also true that a certain ham radio license lets use a certain two-way radio on aircraft?