EU To Allow In-Flight Cellphone Usage

The European Commission is looking to implement rules that will allow in-flight mobile phone usage. If it pushes through, it will be the first regulatory body that will let airline passengers use their cellphones, a practice that is commonly believed to disrupt electrical systems in aircraft.

The European Union on Monday opened the way for air travelers to use mobile phones to talk, text or send e-mails on planes throughout Europe's airspace.
Midair service may be available as soon as this year on some airlines for passengers using European GSM technology.

Although the regulations will allow in-flight calls, it will still prohibit them during landing and takeoff.

This reminds me of a Mythbusters episode where they tested this. Using flight instruments that one would usually find in a cockpit, the Build Team managed to prove that a cellphone can cause trouble, but only on unshielded systems. After repeating the test on a real-life plane (as opposed to just the makeshift cockpit that they built), the shielding prevented them from getting the same results. Although the myth eventually proved to be "Busted", that cellphones do not cause aircraft instrument intereference due to the shielding, airliners would rather play it safe and continue to prohibit phone usage.

Source: Associated Press

( Add your comments )

Recent Entries:
· Bell, Rogers Announce Canadian Launch of Samsung Wave
· Bell, Telus now offering iPhones
· Fox introduces FoxPop mobile phone app to enhance DVD viewing

[ READER COMMENTS ]

EU To Allow In-Flight Cellphone Usage

Add your comments...

We kindly ask that you keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Abusive or inappropriate comments or comments that are specifically promotional in nature may be removed.