On Your Cell at 30,000 Feet

It looks like as soon as 2007, the sounds of ringing and buzzing cell phones could be filling the cabins of what were previously much quieter areas (atleast when it came to phones).

Airline passengers, already underfed, over-crowded, harassed by security and surrounded by crying children, probably thought they were seeing the last straw on the horizon when — ta-taa! — the airline companies announced they are going to test the use of cell phones in flight.

Until now, cell phone use has been banned for fear that they might interfere with planes’ navigational electronics. But where there’s a will, there’s a technical way. Two European airlines will test a system next year that uses on-board equipment to relay calls from phones to cell networks below. If it works, widespread access could begin in 2007.

So there goes the last public place on or off Earth free from the clamor of ring tones and overheard conversations that predictably begin with “Guess where I am?” This creates new opportunities for airborne rage and passenger conflicts.

It looks like using this service will have a hefty fee behind it to hopefully lessen the ringing to the first class area, but as the system no doubt becomes more widely adopted, it will become cheaper, and thus more wide spread.

I don’t know about you, but I think they should atleast make it so everyone must have their phone on vibrate. I get frustrated enough with my flying experiences, and I don’t want to hear your latest MP3 ringtone of some new hit pop song.

Source: delaware online

October 25th, 2005 Posted by David in Article at 12:24 pm Comment Now! »
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