Qantas' in-flight mobile trial ready to go
Want to be asked to"switch on" that mobile handset on our next flight from or to Australia? You may be in luck if Qantas' public in-flight wireless trial bears fruit soon. While the FCC still cannot determine whether cellphones cause interference with ground-to-flight communication networks, Qantas is barreling right ahead with a trial. We have to ask: FCC -- what is the deal? C'mon guys -- we're sure some folks have used cellphones while flying and no planes have fallen from the sky as a result. It's been years and years and no movement. Sigh. Anyway, another kinda-important detail from Qantas: the in-flight mobile trial is for wireless email and text messaging only. The airline operator doesn't want rude fliers screaming into their handsets just yet.
Filed under: Misc
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brad @ Apr 24th 2007 9:46PM
I don't want cell phones being used on planes. At least not for talking. There are enough rude people that I get stuck next to with out this bs. On top of that, then my boss would ask me to be on conference calls while on the plane... no thanks.
Cameron S. @ Apr 24th 2007 11:35PM
I think the main reason the FCC is so reluctant to look into the issue further is because of opposition in America to the idea. American culture is very much against using cell phones in public(especially when people raise their voices!). The FCC was bombarded with phone calls and e-mails as soon as it was rumored that they were considering lifting the ban(mostly from the 40+ age group I would imagine). This isn't as much of a problem in Europe or Asia from my experience as a result of the differences in culture and how technology is viewed. I personally don't have a problem with it. What's the difference if the person next to you is having a conversation on his mobile or if he's having a conversation with someone next to him? I don't think it's right to
Rich Brome @ Apr 24th 2007 11:44PM
"We have to ask: FCC -- what is the deal? C'mon guys -- we're sure some folks have used cellphones while flying and no planes have fallen from the sky as a result."
No, but cell phone networks on the ground have been interfered with.
The networks are designed to tolerate a certain amount of interference and misbehavior, but if it was more then a phone or two here and there, it would bring the networks to a screeching halt.
Cell phone networks are designed with certain assumptions in mind, namely that users will be on the ground. Cell phone networks are NOT designed to handle situations where phones have line-of-sight to 60 towers at once, some hundreds of miles apart, and the phones are moving hundreds of miles per hour.
It's no problem if there is a picocell on board the plane - like Qantas is testing - that causes the phone to enter a low-power mode (because the picocell is so close) so it won't interfere with ground networks.
BUT what if the picocell is only GSM, and your phone is CDMA? OR what if the picocell only does the 850, 1800, and 2100 bands used in Australia, but not the 1900 band used in the US?
Answer: your phone wreaks havoc with ground networks as if there were no picocell on board at all.
Do you really trust flight attendants to try to explain that you can only use your phone on board if it supports the GSM 1800 mode and you have roaming mode turned on? Do you trust your average passenger to understand those instructions?
Thought not.
THAT is why the FCC said 'no' to phones on planes.
John Little @ Jun 1st 2007 3:33PM
The Qantas system includes a device that stops other cellular bands and technologies from working only allowing quad band GSM phones to operate at 1800MHz.