Cellphone Use On Planes Coming Soon?

s31523 writes "A while back it was reported that cell phone use was given the OK on Emirate airlines. The BBC is now reporting European agencies back the use of cell phones in air. Plans have been developed to introduce technology that allow cell phone use on planes without any risk of interference. A spokesman for the UK regulator Ofcom said there were still many stages to pass through before final approval was given to the roll out of the plans, but the regulator said that the technology could be implemented next year."

Comments

Wait, what?

[Beardo the Bearded]

Let me get this straight:

You can bring on a cell phone, but not an iPod...

You can bring on a lighter, but not a water bottle...

You can wear a belt, but you have to remove your shoes...

Are they just making the rules up randomly or something?

Re:Uh...you can do that now

[Martin Blank]

I've seen flight attendants get very upset with passengers who swear that their phones are in airplane mode, and who offer to show the current setting. Some of them do not allow for anything that looks like a phone to even appear operational.

They also miss the wireless notebooks that are operational and probing for their home networks.

Compromise with text

[shmlco]

Allow SMS/text messaging only. No voice. Then we can have peace and quiet, and bozo business types who're afraid to be out of touch for an hour or so can still communicate with their underlings.