How the DOT May Ruin In-Flight Electronics Use
Skift Take
People don’t want calls in-flight in the U.S., but they want their in-flight connectivity and free use of their personal electronic devices. You can sometimes get what you want, and it’s not what you want.
The in-flight call ban could turn out to be a bigger headache for tech-savvy passengers than the phone calls it was drafted to prevent.
It's no one's fault. It's just a matter of good intentions paving the way to a failure to communicate.
Among the 1,775 comments the USDOT received to its "Use of Mobile Devices for Voice Calls on Aircraft, Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (ANPRM), there's one anonymous consumer comment which speaks to the problem beautifully. (Emphatic capitalization as written by Anonymous.)
"I do NOT support cell phone use on flights. I just read an article in my local paper regarding the use of cell phones on planes. I did not read the 22 page document associated with this issue. PLEASE, please do NOT allow the use of phones on planes."
The request is candid, reasonable and succinct. It echoes the feelings of the many other civilians who commented on the Docket prior to the deadline on March 26. A broad majority don't want calls made on planes, an
