Why Can't We Use Mobile Phones On Planes?

from the no-one-knows dept

Everyone (the airline industry, the FAA, the FCC) agrees that we shouldn't use mobile phones on planes. But, no one can say exactly why. Some say it's for safety. Others say it messes with privacy. However, nothing has been proven, and passengers are pissed off.
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  1. identicon
    Matteo Cassese, 16 Feb 2001 @ 12:11pm

    Security? No, it's just a billing problem


    Quite a few articles have appeared in european press about the reason why airlines do not permit to use a cell phone on planes. Many of those say that the problem is not that the phones may interfere with on board equipment but that the billing system of GSM networks has big problems tracking your call since it switches very quickly from one base station to another (handover is the technical name of the switch between different base stations).

    Due to these billing problems i have heard that calling with a GSM phone from a plane during a flight could be free.

    IMHO i would not use a phone on highly technological computer powered planes (like the Airbus 320/330 series), but i would use it freely on an older (and mostly electromechanical) 737.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Scott, 16 Feb 2001 @ 12:29pm

    Why Can't We Use Mobile Phones On Planes?

    I belive the real reson is that of distubance. Think of what a plane full of cell phone ringing and everyone talking at the same time. The one lonely person taking a redeye that wants to sleep but can't. How would everone here an announcement from the pilot about an emergency.

    The main reason you cannot use a cell phone in a hospitol is that the are a nuisance not so much tath they interfere with the equipment.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Get Bent, 9 Jan 2003 @ 4:46am

    Re: Why Can't We Use Mobile Phones On Planes?

    of course it is about interferance you knob if you knew anything about phone you would know that the band waves cross with the hospital radios and.
    Thats walky talkys in your case!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Get Bent, 9 Jan 2003 @ 4:48am

    Re: Why Can't We Use Mobile Phones On Planes?

    of course it is about interferance you knob if you knew anything about phone you would know that the band waves cross with the hospital radios.
    Thats walky talkys in your case!

    link to this | view in thread ]


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