FCC maintains ban on in- flight voice calls
The Federal Communications Commission killed a proposal to allow in- f light voice calls via mobile phones, ending its examination of an idea that provoked fears of air rage from passengers trapped beside jabbering seat mates.
The idea drew “strong opposition” from pilots and f light attendants, the agency said Friday in a fourparagraph order.
The FCC in 2013 proposed allowing mobile telephone conversations above 10,000 feet, adopting practices followed in Europe and elsewhere, where in- f light voice calling is more common.
But the proposal led to strong and immediate pushback, with travelers, f light attendants, members of Congress and others saying they were troubled by the
idea of passengers talking on phones in f light. One group raised “the potential for air rage if passengers are using their cellphone.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in 2017 signaled the agency would move to kill the proposal, which was created under a predecessor.
“Taking it off the table permanently will be a victory for Americans across the country who, like me, value a moment of quiet at 30,000 feet,” Pai said at the time.
The FCC’s proceeding had been moribund since 2014, drawing few comments as the agency retreated before the show of public dismay.
Restrictions on in- f light calling were put in place to prevent interference with f light controls, radios and navigation equipment. The FCC in 2013 anticipated using technology that funneled calls through an onboard system.