FCC: Keep Cellphones Off in Air
Washington Post, 4/4/2007
The Federal Communications Commission scrapped a two-year-old proposal that would have let airline passengers use cellphones in flight.
Lifting an existing ban on in-flight cellphone use would be "premature" because the commission has not received enough data to assess the potential for interference with wireless networks on the ground, the agency said yesterday.
Existing rules require cellphones to be turned off once an aircraft leaves the ground. The agency began examining the issue in December 2004.
Airlines, handset makers and wireless carriers are still researching the technical aspects of using cellphones on board airplanes, the FCC said. The commission said it may reconsider the issue at a future date if "appropriate technical data is available."
The Federal Aviation Administration has a separate ban on in-flight cellphone use because of potential interference with navigation systems.