FCC Chairman to End Plans to Allow In-Flight Cellphone Calls

[wigby]

Pretty hilarious how many people here are buying into Pai's propaganda on this. This has nothing do do with people talking on their phone, and everything to do with protecting the monopoly the airlines currently have on in-flight internet access, which they would lose if you could access the internet through your cellular connection.

How are you connecting to internet via cellular or making any calls at 30,000 feet?
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To me, "safety" means reducing the incidence of airline rage, which I'm guessing was a big factor in this decision: If the person next to me was gabbing into their phone for hours on end, I would undoubtedly resort to violence.

As for the other half of the equation, I agree with others here that airlines lobbied successfully to keep the monetization of data entirely in their hands, by continuing to prevent cellular data usage.

This also ties into the recent ban on devices originating from certain countries. DHS is worried about terrorists triggering bombs in the belly of the plane using cell phones from the cabin.

 

[Rigby]

I think cellular access and talking are two different things. If I'm already paying 180 USD for cell service with unlimited data, why do I need to spend another x number of dollars for in flight wifi? Now if cellular access in the plane will still cost extra money, than yes, I'm with everyone else. If however, the idea was to provide cellular access without charging extra than I say allow cellular and ban making voice calls.

I think this is what many posters here don't understand. If airlines offered on-board cellular service, it would certainly cost extra money (most likely in the form of roaming fees), probably more than the existing Wifi services. The regular cellular networks are not designed to cover airplanes. It would basically require operating a small cellular basestation on board, as well as connecting to the phone network through either satellite or dedicated ground transmitters. This all costs money.

And to those who say talking on a plane would be OK, you should try sitting next to a person on a 6 hour flight who is constantly babbling. Remember that you are sitting shoulder to shoulder. It's extremely annoying to those around you.

 

[kdarling]

I hope they also disallow talking with other passengers because they also disturbs a moment of quiet. And babies on planes should be totally illegal.

Those others cannot be prevented. This situation can be. You take what you can get

Btw, I used to fly so much for business, that one day my brain simply turned off the baby sounds. They never bothered me after that.

This is stupid. The devices DO NOT interfere with the operation of the plane.

Nobody said that was the reason the chairman wants to nix the idea.

Has anyone even had any success using their phone on a plane? For fun, I left the airplane mode off and it was no service for the entire flight. I'd also assume that the in-flight wifi would be too weak for a voicecall

You're correct, cell towers are not designed to talk to planes. Even if you did hit a cell for a few seconds, you'd be constantly flying in and out of coverage.

Which is again, why the original proposal had nothing to do with passengers using ground towers. It was only about allowing cell phones to connect to an onboard mini-cell, which would be very low power (and thus so would the passenger phones using it).

I don't get why they can't allow phone data though, and specifically state that voice phone calls are prohibited.

I believe that is exactly what the idea now is:

Texts and internet data would be allowed. Only voice calls would not.

But as others have pointed out, using those would cost you because you'd need to buy access to the onboard mini-cell. Pretty much like using cellular on a cruise ship.

 

[Frobozz]

What a gas bag. This guy has a singular agenda, and that is to enrich infrastructure businesses by reducing choice and privacy for customers. The actual reason why he want to ditch this move is to continue to allow airlines to make ridiculous fees off of WiFi. This has no basis as a regulatory issue from what I can tell- certainly the previous FCC administration did not think so. It's not a safety issue. Now, I will agree you could instate a policy of low voices, like a train quiet car. I get not wanting to have a loud conversation next to you- but does anyone seriously believe this guys job is to legislate how a technology is used in this context? I mean, why bother doing any actual research, having a shred of technical data, or defensible hypothesis when you can just make it up, right?!

 

[Pipper99]

I just wanna stop this from happening

 

[lkrupp]

If implemented, murder would become commonplace on airplanes.

 

[Bigsk8r]

Just make a FaceTime or Whats App call using the in-flight WiFi if something's that urgent.

Exactly. And what some are forgetting - or never knew in the first place - is that cell tower antennas are configured with directional antennas and a down tilt (usually 3 degrees) to cover a very specific area or "cell" (imagine that). They do not face upward.

The proposal would have required all the carriers to build out independent systems, or lease satellite time to beam to a link in the plane. Either of those options would certainly have been costly plan adders. Can you imagine sitting next to someone with an ego as big as their checkbook who feels entitled to talk long and loud? Yeah, no fun.

But hey... those of you that wanted this, go ahead and try to use a cell phone above 1000 - 1500 feet, inside an aluminum tube. Let us all know how that works.

 

[Ladybug]

I just wanna stop this from happening

Thanks for the laugh.

 

[blacktape242]

Wifi calling? Most flights have wifi now.

 

[ignatius345]

Can you imagine how insanely loudly people would talk on a phone call from a plane, just to make matters worse.

 

[macduke]

I believe that is exactly what the idea now is:

Texts and internet data would be allowed. Only voice calls would not.

But as others have pointed out, using those would cost you because you'd need to buy access to the onboard mini-cell. Pretty much like using cellular on a cruise ship.

Presumably in the future this would be better. Do you know if the 700MHz LTE band 12 towers work better on planes, since their range is much further based on the old TV broadcast signals?

 

[rictus007]

I'll like to use my phone... texting.... data.. so I don't need to pay for good broadband connection

 

[joueboy]

My most annoying flying experience when this man talking on his cellphone. The guys keeps on talking while the airplane is taxiing for takeoff. Warning has been given but he was still in his phone running with mouth pretty loud. Flight attendant has warned him multiple times. I would have tought he's gonna shut his mouth before we takeoff. He pulled out his credit and continued the conversation with the airline phone.

 

[thebroz]

What provider has service towers that reach 30,000 ft? Turn your phone on up there right now and tell me how many bars you've got.

My provider (T-Mobile) and probably your provider offer service at 30,000 feet, when using VoIP.

 

[RHammer]

Summer 2005. I took a Eurostar train from Venice to Florence (~2 hours ride).
I paid quite much for the ride ticket with an expectation to enjoy the view and a comfort ride.
But a few raws in front of me was this Italian woman that the entire ride was making phone calls (and these were not phone conversations: it was all about her monologging).
Even the poor reception in some parts of the ride didn't make her stop.
It only increased the frequency in which she was loudly saying "Pronto?! ... Pronto?!! ...Pronto?!!!"

I cross the Atlantic a few times each year.
Having a baby occasionally crying on those flights is more than enough.
Let me enjoy the current relative silence.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

That can still happen... Wifi calling.

The wifi on planes can't support VoIP at this point. The user agreement actually makes you agree not to use it in most cases and bandwidth per connection is limited to prevent 1 person from killing connection speeds for everyone else.

 

[kdarling]

Presumably in the future this would be better. Do you know if the 700MHz LTE band 12 towers work better on planes, since their range is much further based on the old TV broadcast signals?

Band 12 is called "extended range" because its lower frequency can go through buildings. Ground-air has no such worries

The more important part would be the aiming of the antenna upward.

However, note that ground-air LTE is NOT intended for personal use. Ground carriers are working on it as an alternative to air-satellite comms. In other words, so that airlines will have a cheaper, faster way to provide WiFi onboard, and so the carriers will have another revenue stream.

I'll like to use my phone... texting.... data.. so I don't need to pay for good broadband connection

Again, you won't be able to do that anyway. Your phone would have to connect to the airplane's onboard mini-cell, for which you'll get charged.

 

[JWD]

Good call, everyone would be yelling into their phones to be heard. Is this banning flights with wifi from using FaceTime?

 

[jkozlow3]

That can still happen... Wifi calling.

Wifi calling? Most flights have wifi now.

You are not allowed to use WiFi calling on planes. At least no airline that I've traveled on allows it.

I get the sense that many people in this thread don't travel much.
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Has anyone even had any success using their phone on a plane? For fun, I left the airplane mode off and it was no service for the entire flight. I'd also assume that the in-flight wifi would be too weak for a voicecall

I take my phone out of airplane mode periodically while on the plane, yes. Quite often I can get enough signal to refresh my email inbox once, but that's it. After that, forget about it, as the plane is traveling so fast that you'd be hopping towers constantly. As others have stated, cell tower antennas aren't aimed at the sky so it's not often that you can get a usable signal and usually only for 30 seconds or less.
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Good call, everyone would be yelling into their phones to be heard. Is this banning flights with wifi from using FaceTime?

Phone calls via the plane's WiFi is ALREADY prohibited on all airlines that I've traveled on. This includes FaceTime, WiFi calls, Skype, etc.

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Now if they can only ban Bluetooth headsets throughout the country. After all of these years I can't believe idiots still walk around with those in their ear.

How does someone talking on a bluetooth headset disturb you any more that if that person was holding their phone (which is way less convenient)?

If we're banning bluetooth headsets because you think they look ridiculous, should they ban Crocs footwear next? Those are equally if not more ridiculous looking!

 

[flat five]

What can you accomplish with a call that you can not accomplish with text or email?

when i suddenly learn dolphin_speak and need to let my friend hear it

 

[jkozlow3]

I would buy his argument a lot more if people still talked on the phone. There was a huge hubbub in New York when they were first proposing cell phone service on the subway. Now that they have it, who even talks on the phone anymore?
This is purely a money-making decision.

People who aren't in the "millennial" generation certainly still talk on the phone. I love it how young people, most of which have next to zero in-person social skills as a result of growing up in the age of texting and social media think that talking on the phone is some outdated form of communication.

 

[kpeex]

I wish Pai's FCC and Congress would have listened to the public comments about ISP/internet connection privacy -- ISPs need to be regulated as information utilities.

Instead, they listened to public comments on cellular voice calls, which would have to use communications equipment supplied by the airlines. While I hate the thought of more incessant vacuous yakking on a plane, the basis of the decision is not within FCC's purview.

 

[Macalway]

Thank God.

That and the draconian security checks. i'd rather walk across the country.

 

[hortod1]

No one should talk on the plane at all, not even to the person next to them. All should sit facing forward as still as possible and only taking an equal share of the armrest. No snacks, no announcements, just point A to point B as quick as possible.

(being silly but do agree we don't need phone calls on the plane)

Agree with everything except the arm rests - the person in the middle gets both, automatically. It's all about making the best of a bad situation.

 

[GoodWheaties]

How can anyone come in here and support this? This isn't a ban on talking. It's not even a ban on phone calls. It's only a ban on using the cellular signal so that you'll buy wifi/phone service. If you're so concerned about obnoxious talkers, chime in when that's actually on the table.

There is no cellular signal at 30,000 ft.