Net surfing, cell calls on planes closer
Want to surf the Net and phone the office at 35,000 feet? High-speed Internet and cell phone service in
airplanes moved big steps closer to reality Wednesday, with regulators paving the way for both offerings
in as soon as two years. In-flight broadband is further along than cell phone service. The Federal
Communications Commission voted Wednesday to rearrange a chunk of spectrum to permit broadband
in the skies by 2006. An auction for companies to bid for the airwaves will be held next year. Today, many
domestic flights offer instant messaging, text messaging and e-mail for $4 to $10 a flight. Broadband,
however, would let passengers shop online and tap into corporate networks. In-flight broadband is
available today only through satellite-based systems on international flights because the service is pricey
and requires heavy equipment that would be cumbersome for narrow-body domestic airlines. The new
services would cost as little as $5 to $10 a flight. They would work by sending signals to an antenna on
the plane, which would relay them to towers on the ground. The FCC had to resolve a dispute among
wireless carriers. Verizon Airfone argues only one company could use the spectrum. AirCell and Boeing
say at least two could share the airwaves without interfering with each other. That would create
competition, likely \leading to lower prices and more features for passengers. The FCC agreed to set up
the auction so that whichever carrier bids the most for the total spectrum — a single provider, or two that
want to share — would win the airwaves. But Democratic Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael
Copps partly dissented. They said a single company would likely be willing to pay a premium to enjoy the
benefits of a monopoly. The FCC also asked for public comment on a plan to lift its ban on cell phone use.
Today, Verizon Airfone offers a little-used seatback phone service on many planes that costs $3.99 a
minute. The FCC has long feared that letting passengers use their own cell phones would cause
interference with hundreds of antenna towers on the ground, clogging networks. But new technology
allows signals to be sent to a small airplane antenna, which would beam the signals to designated
on-ground towers on special channels. Even if the FCC eases its rules, the Federal Aviation
Administration would also have to lift its ban on airplane cell phone use. The FAA worries about
interference with navigation equipment. Also, airlines that install antenna systems would have to find a way
to share revenue with cell phone carriers that typically offer flat-rate plans. There are also social concerns.
"Many passengers don't relish the idea of sitting next to someone yelling into their cell phones for an entire
six-hour flight," Adelstein says. FCC Chairman Michael Powell notes: "Our job is to make communications
possible. Society, the airlines and the FAA will have a lot more to say about how and in what manner these
services can function."
Cell phone talk still up in the air
The FCC may be moving to ease the ban on some wireless use during flights, but the Association of
Flight Attendants (AFA) isn't happy about the use of cell phones in the air. United Press International
says they fear widespread use of wireless devices in the confined space of an aircraft cabin
potentially could interfere with an aircraft's communications and navigation systems, compromise safety and
increase conflicts between passengers and crew. An AFA representative called for more research
before lifting the prohibition. "While this process is unfolding, attempts to weaken the long-standing
FCC prohibition will only confuse the public, and any widespread misperception by travelers
that cell phone use is now intrinsically safe might well prove catastrophic," said Chris Witkowski, director
of the AFA Air Safety, Health and Security Department.
Frustrated by delays, Saudi man divorces wife at airport
It's no secret that flight delays can be stressful, but that was apparently enough to do in one couple in
Saudi Arabia. A Saudi man divorced his wife after she refused to return home and take another flight.
He apparently reached his breaking point after spending 14 hours at Bisha airport in the south part of
the Kingdom, waiting out an apparently maddening set of delays. The divorce was granted at the airport,
British news service Ananova quotes the Arabic-language Saudi daily paper al-Yaum as reporting. Saudi
Arabia allows men to receive a divorce on request, while women must win a legal decision for the right.
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