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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?"
Please god no.
Can you imagine a whole bussiness-class row all talking so damn loud and so full of buzzwords that makes you want to yank off their arms, so they can't call again?
No, neither do I, and I'd like it to stay that way.
Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
They will find some way to charge you for the privilege of using your own cel phone.
Hmmm... screw cell phones, how about WiFi? I'd much rather have WiFi on a plane than a cell phone and other people using it wouldn't really bother me.
Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".
Although the airlines, and the FAA might end up not carring about cell phones in use while in flight, the cellular carriers certainly will.
The whole concept that allows cell phones to work (that the signal strength at distant cells will be much weaker) only works when all of the phones are close to the surface of the earth. When the users are above the surface significantly, the relative distance between the user and multiple cells isn't very much.
A single user in a airplane making a cell call could easily consume the resources that a few hundred users would on the ground.
Filling the sky with people talking on cell phones could easily render most cell networks nearly useless.
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.
If those annoying cellphone "conversations" that I can't help but overhear in the grocery store are any indiciation of what we can expect in the skies, we're in for some trouble.
"Hey Buffy, guess where I am? No, I'm not at the grocery store. I'm in an airplane over Ohio! Does, like, your parents live there and stuff? No? Oh, they're in Michigan? But isn't Michigan a city in Ohio? Oh wow. Anyhow, the guys sitting next to me on this flight just want to do read their computer books so I'm bored. Yeah, I know, and this book has a drawing of some wierd animal on it, too. Anyhow, Let's talk about the butts of all the hot guys on American Idol! That should last the rest of this five-hour flight! You are, like, such a good friend to do this for me. Nah, don't worry about the phone charges. My parents pay for my cellphone anyhow cause I told them I needed it in case of emergency. What? Oh, you want me to speak louder? Sure thing!"
GMD
watch this
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.
I'm a RF Engineer for a major US PCS carrier.
There's no way that our network (nor anyone else's) would be able to handle calls reliably from an airplane.
Our cells typically only cover 3-5 miles in an urban area, and 20 in a rural one. As fast as a plane travels, you'll be changing sites very quickly.
Add to that the fact that our network is designed and optimized for ground level users, and you're looking at a crappy call, assuming you can even orginate one.
IMO, a possible better solution would be a micro-cell installed on the plane that would multiplex the calls back to the PSTN.
A few of my co-workers and I were on a private plane and became curious about what the cellular coverage would be like while on a plane. Since the pilot didn't mind, we turned on our mobiles and watched the coverage gauges.
I'd find it hard to believe anyone could have a real conversation via mobile phone on a commercial flight. Given that our plane was relatively slow and low compared to a commercial flight, we zipped from one cell to the next. The way the coverage went from 5 bars to zero and back again every 10-15 seconds, I'd imagine the gauge would be going bonkers when that high up and going that fast.
"RING!"
"Hello?"
"Hi honey, I'll be home in--bzz--<dial tone>"
"RING!"
"Hello?"
"Sorry, lost coverage there for a--bzz--<dial tone>"
"RING!"
"Hello?"
"Cell phone dropped off again. Anyway--bzz--<dial tone>"
But why is the rum gone?
Since when did a Laptop, Gameboy or a Walkman become a triggering device on a weapon of mass destruction? I mean if the planes are so delicate should we really be flying in them? If all OSAMA needs is his sprintPCS, laptop, and a walkman turned on at takeoff to bring down a plane why didn't they try it long ago? What would freak out americans more then watching a plane crash every day? And if it was really a safty issue wouldn't they ban them from the cabin.. ala GUNS, KNIVES? The Generic reason given to turn all this stuff off at take off and landing is that it *MAY* interfer with ILS. Now I have a few tips on how to handle this. FIRST upgrade ILS.. if gameboy and walkmans are fuxing it then it needs to be upgraded.. there are several ways to get around this.. I mean if my CELL PHONE can connect me.. with a BILLON other CELL PHONES without jumping on to the wrong call then you think ILS could be upgraded to freqecny hop as well. Second what about some sheilding around the cabin? Wrap some tin foil around the cabin.. that seems to keep the aliens out of my head. Finally don't realy on ILS in the first place.. I know its tough being a pilot these days.. but put the damn drink down.. grab the big dealy between your legs and look out the shiny thing infront of you. If you can't handle it and need to get drunk on a flight buy a ticket and sit in the back with the rest of the damn drunks.
Boeing and Intel have been working with several airlines on installation of paid-access WiFi on commercial airliners. As for cell access ... even if it is determined that there is no safety threat (and there probably is not), cellphones aren't designed to work at 550 miles per hour and 40,000 feet in the air. They're flaky enough on the ground. They may work on approach or takeoff, but airliners don't waste any time getting to altitude, where engines operate more efficiently in the extremely cold air.