Flying on planes these days is bad enough, particularly when you've got loud neighbors talking and sneezing all over you. Can you imagine what it would be like if they were actually allowed to yap on their cell phones all day? Fortunately, that dreaded advancement in travel-tech-convenience doesn't look like it'll be happening any time soon on any U.S. carriers, given the
FCC's upholding of the ban on in-flight cell phone use yesterday. (Its reason? "Insufficient technical data," which means the Commission still can't figure out if cell phones interfere with networks on the ground.) That said,
in-flight cell phone services look likely to move forward in Europe and Asia, but only 14 calls can be made at any one time, so what are American mile-high gab-addicts really going to miss anyway?
Now, if you thought you were safe from office or other outside-world intrusions while flying, think again: According to the
Wall Street Journal, in-flight Wi-Fi may make it to domestic flights some time within the next 12 months (despite last year's spectacular
failure of the excellent Connexion by Boeing service on mostly European and Asian carriers). Alas, you'll have to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi, but at least
Skype calls will be blocked, so it seems as though just old-fashioned annoyingly loud conversations between two or more real people will still be the only things driving you crazy.
From
FCC
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