The FCC, previously worried that your personal wireless gadgets (“hi Ma! we’re on the runway now!”) would interfere with the plane’s wireless gadgets (“roger that, Ground, Keepusintheair device functioning A-OK”), is in the midst of changing the rules.
Airlines can choose to install an “airborne access system” directly on the plane to prevent interference.
The question now is, should they? ‘They’ being the airlines, who, having been technologically cleared for onboard cellphone usage, will have to make the decision about allowing us, the traveling public, to do so.
The Washington Post has a highly amusing response to this. They say, “…airlines and travelers would decide what to do. Carriers would have all sorts of possibilities to suit a range of passenger preferences. They could allow a limited number of simultaneous phone conversations. They could let passengers retrieve data or send text messages but not talk. They could create quiet cabins or designate entire flights as no-phone zones, if that’s what customers want. Airline staff would have all the leverage in enforcing the rules, because they would control the equipment that would connect passengers to cellphone networks. Beyond the rules, costs would also constrain cellphone users; they would be charged roaming rates for their conversations.”
Let’s examine this.
“… allow a limited number of simultaneous phone conversations…”. This would, of course, be a dreamy breeze of ease to arrange and oversee. ‘Sir? Sir? Your five minutes are up. This lady would now like to call her office, so please…’ Yah, sure.
‘…create quiet cabins..”. I see no problems there at all, Sounds doesn’t travel any more than smoke does, right? it will work just fine, as no-smoking cabins did back a couple decades ago.
I especially like “Airline staff would have all the leverage…” which sounds more like ‘cabin crews will need whips and chairs to maintain order’. And maybe stun guns. And something to mop up the blood in the aisles.
First-class cabins would be fun. People who can afford all the roaming charges they want, but also might not appreciate having paid $10,000 to sit for hours in the midst of all the yappitty-yap.
Texting-only onboard.? Fine. Just watch those elbows, dear seatmate.
Click here to see comments left on the FAA website. Click here for Los Angeles Times comments.
So, on a scale of 10 (only if I’m allowed to do throw cellphone-yappers into the luggage bay) to 1 (yah, sure I got Ativan and earplugs, go ahead) where do you stand on this issue?
Image Wikipedia Commons. Photo by Mtcv.
