One nice thing about the cell phone ban in the flight is the peace that it allows. I can't imagine a flight full of teenagers, bidnessman and so forth talking on the phone.. BAHA Fan of sleeping, doing work or reading on planes.. -----Original Message----- From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Clay Wardlow Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 11:57 AM To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Add cell phones to trials of flight http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/191723_mobile21.html =20 Airbus says technology permits safe calling from airplanes By JOHN COOK <mailto:johncook@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> AND PAUL NYHAN <mailto:paulnyhan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>=20 SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERS Airline passengers may soon want to pack earplugs.=20 Last week, Airbus demonstrated a new technology that would allow travelers to make calls from personal cellular phones while in flight -- a major advancement in communications but a potential headache for those annoyed by the constant chatter of fellow passengers.=20 The test, which occurred on an Airbus A320 above Toulouse, France, was the result of more than two years of research in which the European jet maker and its partners hope to bring affordable mobile phone calling to the skies. Airbus said it plans to install the in-flight phone network on aircraft beginning in 2006. It consists of a "picocell" inside the aircraft that transmits the mobile phone call through a computer server to the satellite networks of Globalstar, which, in turn, passes the call on to cellular or land-line phone networks. Last week's test was successful in transmitting calls to mobile and traditional phones on the ground, as well as to another passenger's cellular phone on the aircraft, the company said. It also tested several mobile phones simultaneously, with passengers sending text messages or placing voice calls. The Boeing Co. said there is nothing magical about offering in-flight cellular service. The service still faces two major obstacles -- price and noise -- according to executives at Connexion by Boeing, a unit developing a high-speed Internet and e-mail service. Ambient noise -- the subtle but steady drone you hear while flying -- makes it hard to hear over cellular connections, according to Connexion President Scott Carson. So, people may shout louder than ever when making cell phone calls during flights, disturbing those sitting near them. And Carson said the latest test doesn't make cell phones cheaper to use, since passengers would still rely on an expensive system that could well discourage adoption. "We could do that. We would prefer to wait until there is clearly a market for it," Carson said yesterday.=20 Boeing is developing an in-flight service at Connexion that offers real-time Internet and e-mail service. Connexion projects sales of $3 billion over the next 10 years. The Airbus test is only the latest effort to open telephone lines for flying passengers. Passengers, for example, have been able to use phones built into headrests. But, consumers paid dearly for that perk, often spending about $4 to access the system and $4 a minute to use it, according to The Associated Press. American Airlines has removed many of its headrest phones.=20 In July, American Airlines tested another idea, an in-flight cellular service from Qualcomm Inc. Qualcomm plans to work on the service over the next two years, checking to see if its signals conflict with a jet's avionics.=20 And Boeing has its own "Joe Phone," a wireless phone that relies on a sensitive headset designed to discourage shouting. The Joe Phone, though, is set for use only on private networks -- flight crews communicating directly with staff on the ground and other closed systems. It is also still being tested. The technology, though, holds the promise that one day passengers could use it to make calls, according to Connexion executives.=20 And regulators will be involved. The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration currently prohibit the use of the cellular phones while an airplane is in flight. "We do it for safety purposes," said Alison Duquette, a spokeswoman at the FAA. "It would have to be proved to us that there is no possibility for interference with any of the equipment on the airplane."=20 The FAA is working with RTCA Inc., a private, non-profit organization that studies communications, air traffic control and navigation systems, to learn more about the safety of in-flight cellular phone calling.=20 Some airlines, such as Alaska Airlines, have liberalized polices in recent months to allow cellular phone calls once a plane has landed and is taxiing to the gate. =20