FCC launches new service to deliver customized e-news
The FCC Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) is launching the Consumer Information
Registry, an expanded and improved e-mail service that will deliver customized information about the FCC's
actions and related developments in telecommunications and other communications services. "The Registry
is an Internet database that can be customized to deliver information on whatever topics the subscriber
chooses," the FCC said in a news release today. Among the many choices are "Amateur Radio and Related
Interests" and "Ham Radio." The topic checklist also includes Broadcast TV and Cable TV, but subscribers
can also specify topics not on the list. Acting CGB Chief Monica Desai says the FCC is "delighted to be able
to offer this valuable tool to everyone interested in communications issues." She says FCC Chairman
Kevin J. Martin has expressed an interest in ensuring that consumers continue to enjoy the benefits of the
best communications system in the world. "I believe the Consumer Information Registry =has the potential to
play an important role in achieving that goal," she added. The sign-up information is on the FCC CGB Web
site. Subscribers will be asked to indicate the subjects on which they wish to receive information. The service
is free, and subscribers may unsubscribe at any time. -- FCC via ARRL Web Extra
Cell phones on planes worry US law enforcement
Allowing airline passengers to use personal cell phones during flights could help potential hijackers
coordinate an attack or trigger a bomb smuggled on board, U.S. security officials have told regulators.
The U.S. Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation late
Thursday outlined the potential dangers associated with allowing cell phone use during plane flights, as
the Federal Communications Commission has proposed if safety issues can be resolved. The Federal
Aviation Administration would also have to approve any rule change. At present personal cell phones
and other communication devices must be switched off at takeoff, landing and for the duration of
commercial flights because it could potentially interfere with the operation of the plane. While some have
told the FCC they worry about an increase in loud, irritating chatter on flights, law enforcement officials
were focused on preventing a possible attack." The uniqueness of service to and from an aircraft in flight
presents the possibility that terrorists and other criminals could use air-to-ground communications systems
to coordinate an attack," they said in comments to the FCC. During Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, passengers
and crew on the hijacked planes used cell phones as well as phones embedded in the seats to call for help
and talk to loved ones. If the cell phone ban were lifted, law enforcement authorities worry an attacker could
use the device to coordinate with accomplices on the ground, on another flight or seated elsewhere on the
same plane. If wireless phones are to be allowed in-flight, the law enforcement agencies urged that users
be required to register their location on a plane before placing a call and that officials have fast access to
call identification data. "There is a short window of opportunity in which action can be taken to thwart a
suicidal terrorist hijacking or remedy other crisis situations on board an aircraft," the agencies said in the
comments. The security officials also worried that personal phone use could increase the risk of a remotely-
controlled bomb being used to bring down an airliner. But they acknowledged simple radio-controlled
explosive devices have been used in the past on planes and the first line of defense was security checks at
airports. Still, "the departments believe that the new possibilities generated by airborne passenger
connectivity must be recognized," they said.
More air rage?
In other filings with FCC, several flight attendants worried that allowing cell phones to be used on planes could
make their jobs harder during an emergency and lead to further cases of air rage by passengers. "The
introduction of cell phone use in the cabin will not only increase tension among passengers, it will compromise
flight attendants' ability to maintain order in an emergency," said American Airlines flight attendant Joyce
Berngard. The possibility of air rage incidents also raised concerns among law enforcement who feared that it
could complicate the job of armed air marshals disguised as passengers who are deployed on thousands of
U.S. airline flights each week. "The first and overriding priority of federal law enforcement on board aircraft is to
ensure the safety of the aircraft and the flight," the law enforcement officials said.
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