WASHINGTON-Wouldn’t it be cool to receive e-mail, a mobile-phone call or connect to the Internet while you are flying?
That was the question examined last week at the Wireless Onboard Aircraft Single Focus Workshop, sponsored by the World Airline Entertainment Association.
Using the term personal electronic device-or PED-the two-day summit tried to decide whether these devices, which increasingly use radio frequency to transmit information, can be used safely while onboard an aircraft.
PEDs can be any electronic device ranging from traditional business tools (pagers, personal digital assistants, laptops and mobile phones) to true entertainment devices (radios, Gameboys and Furbies).
Many of these devices are used in some form while onboard, but restrictions are placed. Travelers are well aware of the announcements asking that electronic devices be stowed until the captain allows their use.
People are not supposed to use mobile phones at all during flights, but many airlines allow passengers to make calls while on the tarmac. Interestingly, Julius Knapp, deputy chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, said that Federal Communications Commission rules prohibit the use of only cellular phones while in flight.
“That rule was put in place because of the potential interference of analog cellular. With the original analog technology, once you had a phone operating in the air, it appeared to be effectively a base station in the sky and could interfere with multiple towers. Our rules are trying to protect communications. We didn’t adopt a similar rule for [PCS]. No similar argument was made. As to whether those devices can be used on an airplane is really a matter for the [Federal Aviation Administration] and the airlines to determine,” said Knapp.
Even though the conference seemed to assume that PEDs eventually would be allowed during flight, this was a bit of an initial controversy at the conference.
PED manufacturers-and some hoping to be-believe that aircraft passengers want to use the devices, while some airline representatives said people use flight travel times as an escape and so don’t want to be able to access their e-mail or make calls.
