With cell phones, pagers and even wireless computers nearly ubiquitous, dozens of agencies are working to open the door for airline passengers to be able to use wireless communications at 40,000 feet.
First, though, they must define the problem with such communications.
“One of the things we’re trying to do with the Federal Aviation Administration is to understand technically what’s going on up there,” said Scott Pace, chief technologist for NASA Space Communications. “These aircraft were never designed to accommodate the emissions and types of consumer systems commonly found on aircraft today.”
Pace is working with RTCA Inc., a Washington nonprofit advisory group that has been tapped to help develop a first round of industry guidelines to deal with more common technologies, such as cell phones and two-way pagers. A second phase, addressing newer technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, is set to begin next year.
“We’ve got a fairly decent understanding of the vulnerabilities of key aircraft systems; we understand what they’re susceptible to,” said Pace. What’s uncertain is the level of wireless “noise” brought on board by passengers on any specific flight, and the threat that may pose.
Aircraft won’t crash due to electrical interference because there are so many redundant safety systems onboard,” said a Department of Transportation official who declined to be named. “However, we do know that some wireless devices have the capability to interfere with cockpit equipment such as GPS, and must therefore examine emerging technologies to ensure that they do not become disruptive to flight operations.”
Others, however, believe wireless devices are a clear and present danger.
“It will be almost impossible to ever prove that an airplane came down because of an electronic glitch,” said industrial hygienist Dinkar Mokadam of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). “(But) I’m pretty confident there have been flights that have come down, and a large part of the equation was electrical interference.”
The Consumer Electronics Association is working with the AFA and other groups to create an industry standard to help flight crews manage the in-flight use of wireless devices. One of the biggest problems is that cell phones and pagers are not only transmitting when a call is in progress but transmit anytime they are turned on while searching for a signal. Among other things, the group hopes to bring together manufacturers and wireless carriers under a universal standard that would allow flight attendants to confirm quickly and easily that devices aren’t transmitting in flight.
“There is currently no consistent way to demonstrate how a device is switched off,” said Doug Johnson, senior director of technology policy at the CEA. “There’s a need for a consistent message to passengers and flight attendants” regarding in-flight wireless policies.
That need is only going to grow as wireless technology becomes more popular and more advanced. Several airlines have introduced on-board Wi-Fi, creating airborne hot spots for mobile computer users. And advances in aviation technology may make for more vulnerable systems, Mokadam said.
“People are getting hearing aids with Bluetooth and insulin pumps with wireless radio,” Mokadam said. “That’s a whole other ballgame, and we’re going to have to start dealing with that.”
The answer, according to DOT, is rigorous, standardized testing of any new wireless devices or systems that will be used in the skies.
“We believe the best course of action is to test new gadgets in real-world, operational settings,” said a DOT official.
One such test occurred last week on an American Airlines flight out of Dallas, as Qualcomm Inc. invited reporters and government representatives aboard for a proof-of-concept demonstration. During the flight, passengers were able to place and receive calls and text messages on commercially available CDMA mobile phones via an in-cabin 3G picocell network and an air-to-ground Globalstar satellite link.
Qualcomm officials dubbed the demonstration a success, but said much work has yet to be done before passengers will be allowed to use their phones in the air as they do on the ground.
“There are no business plans, and we’ve made no deals” for mobile-phone use, said Scott Becker, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Wireless Systems. “We have a controlled environment, and these are off-the-shelf phones.”
Meanwhile, the RTCA is completing work on its initial report, and the CEA hopes to complete its work by the end of the summer and announce recommended standard practices in the fall. But rapidly advancing technology continues to offer challenges to those looking to make the skies safe.
“The more complicated aircraft are getting, the more of a problem (wireless communications) can become,” said Mokadam. “The marketplace is moving forward, and everybody’s playing catch-up.”
