Travel Technology - Cell phones on planes may be sooner that expected

http://www.rcrnews.com/news.cms?newsId=22024

So how many think this is a BAD idea. Cripes, I just can't wait to sit beside some "VERY IMPORTANT PERSON" barking in their cell phone. I find cell phones a pain everywhere these days.

People need an etiquette lesson big time in cell phone usage!

Please, I put this in the Technology forum so we could discuss the technical aspects. There are hundreds of posts in other forums about etiquette.

I'd say the etiquette part is very relevant. What's there to say about the technical aspect? Enabling mobile phone use on planes in flight requires:

- signal / connectivity
- no interference with aircraft systems

Both of which are soon to be solved, judging by the topic title.

Pretty soon, boarding passes will say "PHONE / NO PHONE" instead of "SMOKE / NO SMOKE". :D

FewMiles..

If you want to start an etiquette topic, would you do it in the technology forum?

I'm more interested in latency issues and if I can get digital links over this network connection. That will determine if I can do anything other than analog speech on the plane.

I wouldn't worry all that much, can't get decent reception at my house, I really doubt that being on a plane would improve it ;)

I predict the market for cellphone jammers will boom. Illegal or not, I cant wait to get my hands on one.

http://www.phonejammer.com/mobile_phonejammer.htm

http://www.silenceplease.com/Product_MPS15R.pdf

The flying experience is getting worse every day. I don't see why the airlines are rushing to install this knowing it's only going to cause conflicts inflight. Why can't the airlines focus on installing net access.

I don't see why the airlines are rushing to install this knowing it's only going to cause conflicts inflight. Why can't the airlines focus on installing net access.

Quite simply they will install cell phone networks to make money. Revenue, revenue, revenue. And the cell phone companies will pay for it to be installed, or at least most of it.

In the case of WiFi internet access on the airplane, the airline pays for all of it. That's why you won't see it anytime soon on US airlines.

I predict the market for cellphone jammers will boom. Illegal or not, I cant wait to get my hands on one.

http://www.phonejammer.com/mobile_phonejammer.htm

http://www.silenceplease.com/Product_MPS15R.pdf

The flying experience is getting worse every day. I don't see why the airlines are rushing to install this knowing it's only going to cause conflicts inflight. Why can't the airlines focus on installing net access.


You could really have some fun with the jammers if they jam a wide range of frequencies in an area. For instance, would it jam those beepers you get while waiting for tables at restaurants? How about the guy trying to print your Hertz Bill?

I predict the market for cellphone jammers will boom. Illegal or not, I cant wait to get my hands on one.

http://www.phonejammer.com/mobile_phonejammer.htm

http://www.silenceplease.com/Product_MPS15R.pdf

The flying experience is getting worse every day. I don't see why the airlines are rushing to install this knowing it's only going to cause conflicts inflight. Why can't the airlines focus on installing net access.

Why do you think you have the right to actively jam cellphones? I don't have any desire to use my cellphone on an aircraft, and I don't much want to hear you use yours. That doesn't give me the right to force you not to use it.

Cell phone jammers are as rude as people who talk loudly into their phones in public places. I also think they're likely to be dangerous, as I can't imagine there's much quality control in the broadcast frequencies.

Anyway, it's not like there aren't phones on aircraft. Airphones have been around for years. Maybe instead of spending $300 on a device to stop other people from using their phones, you should invest in a pair of Bose QC2s.

If I could get data service then I would be set. I sure in heck don't want to talk to someone on the plane but I wouldn't mind a decent internet connection.

For instance, would it jam those beepers you get while waiting for tables at restaurants?

There are some models that don't affect pagers.

http://starportuk.com/21.htm


Why do you think you have the right to actively jam cellphones?

Because people feel they have the right to be disruptive in an obviously quiet environment. If they can't show consideration to others, why should they be shown any?

I don't have any desire to use my cellphone on an aircraft,

Last I checked, "I" is singular, and just because you won't use your cell inflight doesn't mean that everone else will follow the same etiquette.

Cell phone jammers are as rude as people who talk loudly into their phones in public places.

Hardly.

Rude or not, cell phone jammers are illegal in the US and many other countries. Also any transmitter not expressly allowed by the FAA (or equivalent) is another violation of the law. And if you are going to violate federal law aboard an aircraft these days, you are asking to be arrested as a terrorist and jailed for many years. ;)

So how many think this is a BAD idea. Cripes, I just can't wait to sit beside some "VERY IMPORTANT PERSON" barking in their cell phone. I find cell phones a pain everywhere these days.

People need an etiquette lesson big time in cell phone usage!

Agree 100%. People need etiquette lessons PERIOD! :D

There are some models that don't affect pagers.

http://starportuk.com/21.htm




Because people feel they have the right to be disruptive in an obviously quiet environment. If they can't show consideration to others, why should they be shown any?



Last I checked, "I" is singular, and just because you won't use your cell inflight doesn't mean that everone else will follow the same etiquette.



Hardly.
^ :D

Because people feel they have the right to be disruptive in an obviously quiet environment. If they can't show consideration to others, why should they be shown any?
Umm, an aircraft is a quiet environment? There's jet engines, babies crying, people talking to each other, etc. Most importantly, there's already phones on the plane!

Last I checked, "I" is singular, and just because you won't use your cell inflight doesn't mean that everone else will follow the same etiquette.
I said nothing of the sort. If there weren't demand for cell phones on planes, they wouldn't be installing them. Clearly they'll be used.

Again, I wonder why you think your desire for silence is important enough to use an illegal and potentially dangerous device. Your attitude is at least as arrogant as someone loudly using a cell phone.

One time on a full flight from SEA to LAX I realized I had forgotten to call my partner before boarding as promised. Going the full 2.5 hours without calling would've meant him pronouncing me dead and preparing the funeral arrangements, plus with the 5 hour time difference to him in EZE it wasn't feasible to call him when I arrived. So I had no choice but to use the Airfone in the seatback in front of me in Y for the first time. It was so embarassing using that stupid thing with so many people in immediate proximity to me! Plus to be heard clearly you have to speak pretty loudly. It was awful. I can't imagine using my cell phone for casual (or business) conversations in such close proximity to people. Unfortunately, I know many others don't share the feeling. Can you imagine a packed WN flight with people using their phones? Ugh.

On the other hand, I completely agree that using a device to jam other people's signal is wrong and even more obnoxious than the loud conversations. In restaurants I always have my phone on silent. If it rings, I check the caller ID and if I need to take it I immediately excuse myself and go outside. I'm not bothering anyone, and it's totally unfair to keep me from receiving the call. These days many people rely on their cell phones so that they can be reachable in the event of a business or personal emergency. No one has the right to jam the signal. I'm glad they're illegal, and hope this dissuades people from using them.

More effort needs to be put into teaching people cell phone ettiquete. That's the only way there will be a reduction in the annoying people bellowing into the phone in public places.

More effort needs to be put into teaching people cell phone ettiquete. That's the only way there will be a reduction in the annoying people bellowing into the phone in public places.

I think it would be helpful if handsets provided some feedback. When you speak into your landline, you can hear your voice in the earpiece. Cellphones don't do that, and I suspect this causes many people to subconciously raise their voices. Does anyone know if there's a technical reason for not providing feedback?

To try to lurch this thread back in the direction the OP requested, it appears the equipment they're testing uses a cell aboard the aircraft. The cell bounces to either a satellite and then down to the terrestrial cell network, or directly to the ground. This should provide reasonable throughput, but the satellite system will have high latency. Boeing's internet access works in roughly the same way.

Qualcomm is one of the companies testing, so I suspect there will be CDMA support. Not sure if the other companies are planning GSM.

I feel completely lost if I do not have my cell phone with me, but for some reason like having it off and unuseable on a plane. If I want to sleep, or read quietly, I don't want to listen to someone behind me talking to their office.

I vote no. :td:

Does anybody know how I can invest in Ear Plug companies, or indeed open an ear plug franchise at the major airports.

I wouldn't worry all that much, can't get decent reception at my house, I really doubt that being on a plane would improve it ;)
You'd almost certainly get fantastic reception on the plane. The idea is to install a micro-cell into the aircraft itself, which would then route the calls over fast datalinks to the ground (via satellite service). Your cellphone would not be connecting directly to the ground-based network.

I imagine it'll be a roaming service regardless of who provides your phone, so you'll get murdered on costs for receiving or making calls.

The only thing I'd use this for is my Blackberry service.