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Cell Phone Calls During Flights: Best or Worst Idea Ever?



Making cell phone calls while flying above 10,000 feet may soon be possible, according to the latest proposals released by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The new proposals would allow in-flight passengers to send texts, make calls on their cell phones, and use other mobile communications services once the aircraft is above 10,000 feet. However, all mobile devices would have to be switched off during takeoff and landing.

The push by the FCC towards offering this in-flight service is aimed at giving airline passengers the same communications service as those travelling by train, car or bus. It would also bring the USA in line with several other countries that already allow cell phone use on passenger aircraft.
The Agencies Concerned

The two main agencies involved in the debate, the FCC and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) deal with two different matters. The FAA is the national aviation authority in charge of all U.S. civil aviation as part of the wider U.S. Department of Transportation. Part of its role is to develop and monitor new aviation technology. The FAA is in charge of the safety of aircraft and flight operations. It has already in effect washed its hands of the discussion, declaring the technology behind inflight cell phone use over 10,000 feet to be safe.

The FCC is a separate independent U.S. government agency of five President-appointed commissioners who oversee the regulation and technological innovation of communications across the 50 states. The pros and cons of cell phone use during flights are ultimately an FCC matter, as they are ultimately responsible for the lifting of the ban and managing the whole debate.

The proposal to allow the use of cell phones was initially discussed by the FCC in 2004 but was abandoned as the FCC spokesmen reported that the technical information available at that time was "insufficient to determine whether in-flight use of wireless devices on aircraft could cause harmful interference to wireless networks on the ground." Data collected in 2011 concluded that there were "no confirmed occurrences of cell phones affecting flight safety on aircraft with onboard cellular telephone base stations" opening the way for new discussion on this divisive subject.

Pros and Cons of Inflight Cell Phone Use

Proponents of the new proposed changes argue that modern technology can deliver mobile services for airborne passengers safely and reliably. Chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, says that "the time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules." The previous stand held by the FCC was that mobile phone communications could possibly disrupt important communications between cellular towers on the ground. 

However, a survey of Delta Air Lines passengers showed that 64% of passengers felt that making phone calls during flights would have a negative impact upon their flight experience. Other negative factors raised include the potential of cell phones to cause potential distractions during attendants’ briefings and in case of an emergency. Furthermore, those airlines that decide to go ahead with offering the inflight service would have to invest in equipping their aircraft with special antennas approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to make the communications possible.

While overnight flights could see obvious reasons for maintaining the ban, European’s cheap companies, short-haul tourist lines and busy business flights may have a hard time explaining their resistance if the ban is lifted. Although the advance in technology may no longer be a stumbling block to allowing inflight phone calls, perhaps the social impact of enduring a fellow passenger's conversation at close quarters will still restrict phone calls to ground level.