Committee Approves Ban of In-Flight Cell Phone Use
Aug 1, 2008, 6:36 AM by Eric M. Zeman
updated Aug 1, 2008, 12:14 PM
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a proposed bill that would ban using cellular phones for voice calls during flights in the U.S. on Thursday. Now that the bill, named the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act, has made this step, its next step is to go before the U.S. House of Representatives. It would need to be approved by the House, the Senate, and be signed into law by the President before it could be final. Currently, the FAA and FCC have placed a ban on cellular calls made during flights. The HANG UP Act would make the ban permanent and in-flight calling illegal. The bill would still permit the use of cell phones for sending text messages and accessing the Internet.
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Comments
If in-flight calling is outlawed...
... only outlaws will have in-flight calling.
I'm sorry, this is ridiculous on a number of levels.
- It is technically feasible to provide in-flight cellular service through microcells, and it has been proven to not effect aircraft operations.
- In-flight calling is available today (using satellite) on many US airlines.
- EU countries have approved this service for flights within the EU.
- The likely cost of this service will severely limit the actual use.
It appears that the US government is trying to enforce etiquette and common sense. I can think of a number of places where cell phone use is more objectionable. Is the government going to ban cell phone use:
- By drivers in cars, vans and SUVs? There is a legitimate sa...
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I'm sorry, this is ridiculous on a number of levels.
- It is technically feasible to provide in-flight cellular service through microcells, and it has been proven to not effect aircraft operations.
- In-flight calling is available today (using satellite) on many US airlines.
- EU countries have approved this service for flights within the EU.
- The likely cost of this service will severely limit the actual use.
It appears that the US government is trying to enforce etiquette and common sense. I can think of a number of places where cell phone use is more objectionable. Is the government going to ban cell phone use:
- By drivers in cars, vans and SUVs? There is a legitimate sa...
(continues)
TDBearCT said:...
...
I find those far more annoying than someone having a reasonable conversation on an airplane.
What about banning these obnoxious behaviors on airplanes:
- Talking loudly with your family and friends. This
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TDBearCT said:...
... only outlaws will have in-flight calling.
I'm sorry, this is ridiculous on a number of levels.
- It is technically feasible to provide in-flight cellular service through microcells, and it has been proven t
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YOU CAN BET.......
There is money behind the decision. Somewhere somebody on Capitol Hill is getting some big bucks to stop the use of cell phones on planes. The reason? Some company with big money and a big plan to install and run their own phone system on airliners! Watch, they will wait a while after the law is enacted and then bingo an announcement will be made about a new cell type service for airline passengers will be announced. Conspiracy theory, hell no, just common sense, it's the way Washington works!
It's called AIRPHONE.
...
The main question should be why?
Why should this be illegal?
I feel that if anything, the airlines should just say "Hey this is not allowed."
Does it have to be such a horrible act as to justify it being a crime?
Are we so irresponsible as a nation that we cannot self regulate ourselves when it comes to such a trivial matter?
I don't understand why something like this needs to be written in law, it should just be a rule of the airlines. Next thing you know, they'll make it illegal to eat cheese. Then where will we be? That's right. A cheeseless, in-flight calling-less society ruled by robots and 90 year old senators. I for one welcome our new Blackberry overlords.
I feel that if anything, the airlines should just say "Hey this is not allowed."
Does it have to be such a horrible act as to justify it being a crime?
Are we so irresponsible as a nation that we cannot self regulate ourselves when it comes to such a trivial matter?
I don't understand why something like this needs to be written in law, it should just be a rule of the airlines. Next thing you know, they'll make it illegal to eat cheese. Then where will we be? That's right. A cheeseless, in-flight calling-less society ruled by robots and 90 year old senators. I for one welcome our new Blackberry overlords.
Exactly, I'm mixed on this whole thing, I really don't want people jabbering on the phone being annoying, but, I don't see a need for a federal law over this either.
Now, people say how is this different then in a mall or something, well its sorta ...
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Now, people say how is this different then in a mall or something, well its sorta ...
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JestaMcMerv said:...
Why should this be illegal?
I feel that if anything, the airlines should just say "Hey this is not allowed."
Does it have to be such a horrible act as to justify it being a crime?
Are we so irresponsible
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Congress has to step in if we want to guarantee that it is not allowed on any airline.
Right now all of the airlines ban cell phone calls, but they're not required to by law. Some of them could decide to allow it while others continued to ban it, ...
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Right now all of the airlines ban cell phone calls, but they're not required to by law. Some of them could decide to allow it while others continued to ban it, ...
(continues)
if the calls dont cause direct interfernce with the planes normal function, then what is the big deal?
you would think that by now cell phones wouldnt effect a plane and all its equipment.
and yea people can be annoying, but that is no reason t...
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you would think that by now cell phones wouldnt effect a plane and all its equipment.
and yea people can be annoying, but that is no reason t...
(continues)
ban of voice but not data??
wait so we are allowed to use our phones for sms'ing and web browsing while in the air?
Yeah totally, I didn't know sms/data was allowed either.
CAREFUL!!
that might spark a law against messaging tones and volume! 👀
that might spark a law against messaging tones and volume! 👀
It's not specifically illegal to use your phone for data/texting while in flight, but it *is* illegal because airline rules say you can't do it, and Federal law requires that you obey airline rules.
What this law is doing is making in-flight phone ...
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What this law is doing is making in-flight phone ...
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Its good to know though...
The bill, designated H.R. 5788, wouldn't ban Internet access, e-mail or text-messaging
