Industry Groups Get The Message: Won't Push For Phones On Planes

from the let's-take-this-slowly.... dept

Fri, May 27th 2005 1:02pm — Mike Masnick

Remember the study earlier this year about just how much people dislike the idea of being able to use mobile phones on planes? It appears that industry associations have recognized that this is becoming something of a "third rail" type of issue. So, while you'd expect groups representing both the consumer electronics industry and the mobile operators to be all in supporting yakking in the skies, both are now saying to take it slow. The CTIA is focusing more on worries about interference (an issue that some say has been solved...), but also mention the annoyance factor as an issue. Meanwhile, the CEA is saying that mobile data should be allowed, but not voice. Of course, then you get into problems about the definition of mobile data. If voice is data, how do you ban voice calls? You can't ban talking on a plane -- people do that all the time. What if you set up a Skype connection from an airplane, and just let someone listen to you talk to your seat mate? Where's the boundary? Update: Oh yeah, don't forget the feds. They don't like phones on planes because, you know, terrorists might use them.

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griffon, 27 May 2005 @ 2:29pm

wtf
So this of course means they will rip out the insultingly over prices in seat air phones that are their now? No you say... well then WTF. This is such a moronic double standard.
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Stephen Paulger, 28 May 2005 @ 7:56am

phones on planes
I can't imagine anything worse than sitting on in a seat that is too small for me (I'm 6'5" plane seats are always too small). Next to some smart-arse on his mobile phone dor the entire duration of a 24 hour flight between the UK and Australia.
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Clint, 30 May 2005 @ 7:04am

Why can't you hear yourself?
Perhaps cell phones would be less annoying if you could hear yourself in the earpiece. I've never seen a explanation of why this is. If people could hear how loudly they were talking maybe they would be less annoying.
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Unanimous Coward, 31 May 2005 @ 4:59am

Re: phones on planes
You've obviously never sat next to an Arab businessman with bad body odor and influenza for an overseas flight. Something tells me that the joker on the phone would eventually run out of batteries. That businessman never ran out of coughs or stink.
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