Someone mentioned that cell phones didn't work because the planes were often too high to be picked up by the satellites, but that raises an interesting question. During 9-11, several people on that doomed flight called to report what was going on. Our paper said they used cell phones from the restroom or place where the hijackers were not looking.

Anyone know if that was true?

Robert

I hope those limitations are correct. It's already wa-a-ay too annoying in restaurants and even movie theaters. Sorry but your fellow man is too egocentric to "self-regulate". People have to wait til their flight is over to smoke, why not to make--or god forbid--receive 16 psuedo important calls with 300 ring-tones each going off the whole flight. NOBODY'S that important that they can't wait for a phone call. And just how DID we survive all this time?

Howard, good point about trains... but most "long distance" trains generally give a little more "privacy space" for you to go talk on your phone, or to get away from the annoying guy next to you that's talking to his girlfriend loud enough for 50 people around him to hear.

As for the cellular traffic.... that's what the FCC is considering. They would open up some spectrum for the airliners to connect via satellite to the various cellular networks. It would work similar to the satellite technology being used for in-flight Wi-Fi service.

Currently, cell phones won't even work on airliners. The plane is at too high of an altitude (usually) to get a good signal. And on top of it, you're passing the towers at such a fast speed that your cell phone can't keep up with the network switchovers.

They're allowed on trains, why not planes?

As a compromise though, maybe they can have special "quiet sections" where there are no cellphones permitted.

And let's face it, unless they going to be bridging the cellular traffic over a satellite signal, the "annoyance" factor while flying over the Atlantic will be limited. In fact, I'd assume (but could be wrong) that even given full licence to use our phones it's going to be pretty patch at high speed and high altitude. Perhaps they've come up with some creative ideas to make it work well though.