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Mar. 26, 2007

The FCC is to forego its efforts in making possible the use of mobile phones aboard airplanes while flying, as recommended by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.

Additionally, a number of other factors are standing in the way of the original proposal, which was first announced almost three years ago.

Most large airplanes use very weak signals from the ground to guide them through the air. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) maintains that cellular use aboard airplanes can cause severe interference with these weak signals and potentially cause the airplane’s equipment to lose them in the noise.

The CTIA also conducted tests in 2006 that back up these claims.

Another issue the FAA has is in overcoming the technological barriers in relaying signals to the ground. Aviation experts say that when a cell phone is used at 35,000 feet, it can connect with multiple cell towers, rather than just one at a time.

This could lead to severe network issues on the ground. Though the use of pico cells on airplanes, which would collect and send the signals earthward can solve this issue, lack of enthusiasm from consumers and the wireless industry itself has stalled efforts to overcome these hurdles.

Such news doesn't bode well for AirCell, which won some spectrum from the FCC in 2006 that was allocated specifically for relaying signals from an airplane to the ground.

In light of the FCC’s decision, AirCell CEO Jack Blumenstein said his company would pursue in-flight broadband services instead.

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Source: Wireless Week