Why Can’t I Use My Cell Phone on an Airplane?

Cell phone use while flying might soon become a reality in our lives. With the recent news that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may allow the use of cell phones on airplanes in-flight, many people may wonder why they were banned in the first place. Is it due to safety concerns? Is the technology not yet available? Read on to learn more.

Background

In 1991, the FCC banned the in-flight use of cell phones, claiming that if people were using their cell phones while cruising at 30,000 feet, they would disrupt the normal operations of the many cell phone towers in range on the ground below. However, before the FCC ruling, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) left it to individual airlines, or pilots in the case of private planes, to regulate in-flight cell phone use. Because the FCC overrides the rulings of the FAA, cell phone bans on planes have been at the discretion of the FCC for a long time. The FCC ban has lasted until today, however the FCC has recently considered changing their ruling.

This recent consideration is not the first time that the FCC has proposed lifting the ban and allowing individual airlines to determine their own policies. In 2004, they made a proposal similar to the one recently announced. Subsequently, they received more than 8000 comments from groups representing business interests, pilots, wireless network providers, and consumers.

The FCC withdrew their proposal in 2007, citing a "lack of technical information in the record." Interestingly, the FAA said that cell phones posed no threat to the safety of aircraft in flight.

The Passenger Perspective

If we can rule out safety as a valid reason for the ban, what about the other potential reasons? The technology for making cell phone calls in flight is available: though the quality of network coverage may be mediocre, it is possible to make a call from a plane at 30,000 feet today. 

Surprisingly, those most opposed to lifting the ban on in-flight cell phone use are the passengers themselves. The Forrester Group recently conducted a study that showed only 16 percent of U.S. airline passengers support the use of cell phones in flight. Almost twice that number was strongly opposed to allowing cell phone use on planes. Perhaps the idea of sitting in the same row with someone talking loudly on their phone is the strongest deterrent.           

So where does that leave us?

Until a popular demand arises that warrants a change in policy, the status quo will likely remain the same. Even more importantly, flight attendant unions are particularly opposed to cell phone usage during flights. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) firmly opposes the change, claiming that it has the potential to cause angst amongst passengers, will disrupt the ability for flight attendants to carry our necessary job functions, and in the case of an emergency, make emergency messages harder to hear and communicate. 

As the holiday travel season approaches, you'll be able to answer when the person sitting next to you on a flight asks, "Why can't I use my cell phone?" However, if they are like the majority of American travelers, they might be quite happy with things staying the way they are.

Sources

Wired.com