cell phone

A person is holding a white smartphone in their hand. The phone's screen displays the lock screen with the time "12:23" and the date "Monday, July 29." The background image on the screen appears to be a starry sky. The phone shows a battery level of 75% and a signal strength indicator. The text "slide to unlock" is visible at the bottom of the screen.
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Onboard Calls Won’t Fly

ByJim Ogden

In 2013, the FCC announced it was considering a proposal to allow fliers to make onboard calls while airborne on domestic flights. They requested input from airline pilots, flight attendants, carriers, and passengers. Not surprisingly, the opinions were overwhelmingly against the measure. Yesterday, the FCC chairman announced a halt to the proposal which would have allowed cell…

The image shows a small propeller airplane parked on an airport tarmac. The airplane has two propellers, one on each wing, and is connected to a ground power unit via a cable. There is a set of mobile stairs positioned at the side of the airplane for boarding or deboarding passengers. The sky above is cloudy, and the tarmac has green and white markings.

Calls on a Plane

ByJim Ogden

The Department of Transportation is considering regulations which would allow travelers to place voice calls in-flight. They solicited travelers and the airline industry to weigh in on the proposed measures. Although the technology exists now to place calls using WiFi applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook’s Messenger, and Skype, the DOT and airlines do not permit…