U. S. LAWMAKERS SHELVE ALLOWANCE FOR PHONES IN FLIGHT

U.S. federal regulators are withdrawing a proposal that would have allowed air travellers to use their cellphones at high altitude, rather than relying on inflight Wi-Fi services. The proposal — introduced in 2013 by then-chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler — sought to roll back a long-standing regulation that banned the use of cellphones on planes over concerns that cellular signals could interfere with pilot radios. New advances in inflight communications have minimized those concerns, Wheeler argued at the time, a trend that meant the ban could be lifted. The decision Monday to reverse the proposal came from Wheeler’s successor, Ajit Pai. Calling the plan “ill-conceived” and a “victory for Americans,” Pai said in a statement that he did not believe it served the public interest.