US FAA sees hurdles to in-flight mobile phone use

Substantial challenges remain to the in-flight use of mobile phones even if communications regulators ease their ban, the Federal Aviation Administration told lawmakers on July 15.
FAA rules restricting the use of portable electronic devices on aircraft can be waived but a carrier would have to show that each model of phone posed no threat to aircraft navigation or communications systems, the agency's top air safety official said.
"The FAA is not changing its rules," FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Nicholas Sabatini told the House aviation subcommittee.
"If an air carrier is willing to take the time and incur the expense of testing and verifying that the cell phone usage presents no in-flight interference problems, our rules allow an air carrier to permit such devices," Sabatini testified.
In December, the US Federal Communications Commission proposed lifting its ban of in-flight mobile phone use, provided it is technically feasible and does not overwhelm ground-based networks.
The FAA last year allowed a test of a "pico cell" device on an American Airlines plane that was designed to keep phones operating at their lowest power level.
And last month the FAA gave United Airlines approval to install equipment on 757 aircraft that will give passengers wireless Internet access.
But Sabatini warned that each technology must be shown to be compatible with the specific type of aircraft to be used.
"That's a substantial challenge with ever-changing cell phone technology on the one hand, and, on the other, increasingly advanced and complex aircraft technology as the national airspace system moves to satellite navigation," he said.
Sabatini also said in-flight use of mobile phones could annoy fellow passengers and lead to conflicts that could distract flight attendants from their safety duties.
"This will be one of the issues that we will continue to assess and monitor if cell phone technology proliferates onboard aircraft," he said.
Rep. Peter DeFazio wondered if flight attendants would have to put a check mark on a passenger's head to indicate that their phone was compatible.
The Oregon Democrat said safety should be guaranteed before restrictions were lifted. "I don't think we want to take the chance that the plane might go down because some idiot is having a trivial conversation," DeFazio said.