Home › News ›

Gov't Revives Possibility of Voice Calls On Planes

Article Comments

Dec 9, 2016, 8:24 AM by Eric M. Zeman

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday proposed rules that could eventually pave the way for making voice calls on airplanes. Current regulations from the FCC ban cellular voice calls on airplanes, but the FCC's laws don't apply to WiFi-based calls. Many of today's smartphones are capable of making calls via WiFi, and many of the country's air carriers offer in-flight WiFi. The DOT believes technology will soon be good enough (and the cost low enough) for air carriers to offer WiFi-based calling on their aircraft. The DOT's new angle here is that in-flight calling might be permissible as long as passengers are fully informed about the voice call capabilities of their flight before it is booked. "Consumers deserve to have clear and accurate information about whether an airline permits voice calls before they purchase a ticket and board the aircraft," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. "[Our] proposal will ensure that air travelers are not unwillingly exposed to voice calls, as many of them are troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight." When the FCC explored the idea of in-flight calls in depth, the vast majority of consumers voiced opposition to the idea. The DOT now believes that WiFi-based calls could be permitted as long as everyone is adequately informed and given the opportunity to arrange different travel options. The DOT will accept comments on the idea for 60 days, and emphasized that a full ban of all in-flight calls is still on the table. It will be up to individual airlines to offer such services if they are permitted.

Related

Ray-Ban Stories are Glasses With Cameras and Bluetooth Audio

Sep 9, 2021
Facebook and Ray-Ban have collaborated to create Ray-Ban Stories, "smart" glasses similar to the Spectacles 3 from Snap. Ray-Ban Stories feature dual 5-megapixel cameras that capture photos with depth as well as videos up to 30 seconds.

Samsung Revives S21 Fan Edition

Jan 3, 2022
A model previously rumored to have fallen victim to supply-chain issues, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) is finally coming to market this month. Samsung will use the new model as the more-affordable alternative to the forthcoming S22 series, rather than keep last year's flagship S21 models on the market at lower prices as the company has done in the past.

FCC Proposes New Rules Addressing SIM Swap Fraud

Oct 1, 2021
The FCC has proposed new rules for wireless telecom carriers to require best practices for authenticating customers who are attempting to move service to a new phone or new carrier. The rules are an attempt to crack down on SIM swap fraud and port-out fraud, where a bad actor impersonates a wireless customer in order to take over their phone number.

Verizon, AT&T Moving Forward with C-Band 5G Launch This Week Over FAA Objection

Jan 2, 2022
Verizon and AT&T this morning refused a request by federal transportation officials to delay this week's planned launch of 5G service in the critical new C Band. [Update: By evening, the two companies agreed to a two-week delay.] The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) insists that the service could potentially interfere with radio altimeters that planes use to measure distance to the ground in poor weather.

AT&T, Verizon Agree to Hold Back C Band 5G Near Airports

Jan 18, 2022
AT&T and Verizon are moving forward with this week's launch of 5G service in the new C Band, but have voluntarily agreed to new restrictions around airports at the request of major US airlines. The airlines have asked for 5G in the C Band to be banned within two miles of airport runways, a limitation that will severely reduce availability of the service in some cities.

Comments

This forum is closed.

This forum is closed.

No messages

Page 1 of 1