|
 Tom Wheeler, the new chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission, said in a statement that the commission was proposing
greater in-flight access to mobile broadband. The proposal will be
considered at the commission's Dec. 12 meeting.
"The time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules,"
Wheeler said, adding that modern technologies can deliver mobile
services in the air safely and reliably.
The proposal would also allow passengers to use their smartphones to
send email, text and download data. The proposal would apply to
flights when they are over 10,000 feet in altitude, but not during
takeoffs and landings.
The move came just 16 days after Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the
cellular telephone industry, took over the post of FCC chairman. The
proposal to ease cellphone restrictions was greeted enthusiastically
by the Telecommunications Industry Association and the Consumer
Electronics Association.
Grant Seiffert, president of the telecommunications trade group,
said his members see airline passengers as a new market opportunity.
But the electronics association acknowledged, "Engaging in phone
conversations in flight may prove technically feasible, but many may
find it socially undesirable." The association said it would be
willing to work with the airline industry on promoting telephone
etiquette on planes.
Reaction from the airline industry and labor unions was skeptical.
Flight attendants and others have worried that a plane full of
chattering passengers could lead to arguments and undermine safety.
"Passengers overwhelmingly reject cellphone use in the aircraft
cabin. The FCC should not proceed with this proposal," the
Association of Flight Attendants said in a statement in response to
the FCC chairman's comments.
"In far too many operational scenarios, passengers making phone
calls could extend beyond a mere nuisance, creating negative effects
on aviation safety and security that are great and far too risky,"
the flight attendants group said.
"Our customer feedback indicates people may not want that policy,
but of course tastes and desires change," JetBlue spokesman Morgan
Johnston said in an email. "We would prioritize making the cabin
comfortable and welcoming for all — for those who want cell service
and for those who like peace and quiet."
Henry H. Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Hudson Crossing, said,
"There are bad ideas, and then there's this."
"Unlike the ability to use their personal electronics and Wi-Fi from
gate to gate, passengers don't want this," he added. "The constant
chatter of passengers on their mobile phones has the potential to
further increase tension among already stressed-out passengers. It
will be a catalyst for increased cases of 'air rage.'"
[to top of second column] |
Airline pilot and blogger Patrick Smith said permitting phone calls
on planes "introduces yet another stress factor into an already
stressful environment."
"Airports already are such loud places," he said. "It's the airplane
itself, ironically, that is often the most quiet and peaceful part
of the air travel experience. Is that about to change?"
Should the FCC lift its restrictions on cellphone use, airlines
would still have the option of deciding whether to equip planes with
picocells — small, satellite base stations — to handle calls.
American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said the airline will
wait to see what the FCC does. "However, our Wi-Fi at this time
doesn't allow voice calls."
In October, the Federal Aviation Administration lifted restrictions
on the use of most personal electronic devices during takeoffs and
landings, but not cellphone calls, which fall under the FCC. The FAA
long had barred the use of electronic devices below 10,000 feet
because of concern they could cause electronic interference with
aircraft systems during landings, the phase of flight when accidents
are most likely to occur.
The FAA based its decision to ease the restrictions based on
recommendations from an industry advisory group, which said use of
tablets, music players and other devices doesn't cause dangerous
interference on modern airliners. Passengers are supposed to put the
devices on "airplane mode." The same advisory group also recommended
that the FCC review its restrictions on phone calls.
The FCC proposal is primarily a response to the advisory group's
recommendation, an FCC spokesman said.
If the agency decides to move ahead with the proposal, it would be
just the first step in a long rulemaking process that includes
soliciting public comment. Also, the FAA, which regulates equipment
airlines add to their planes, would probably have a say on whether
plane should be retrofitted with picocells, the spokesman said.
[Associated
Press; JOAN LOWY and
SCOTT MAYEROWITZ]
Mayerowitz reported from
New York. AP Airlines Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to
this report.
Follow Joan Lowy on
Twitter at
http://twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy.
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