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Congress makes in-flight cellphone calling ban permanent

Categories: Announcements, FCC
By: , IntoMobile
Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 4:22 PM

cellphones banned on airplanesScore one for the sensible among us. Cellphone conversations in airborne cabins are now illegal! Call them slow to act, out of touch with reality, greedy politicians, liars, or practically useless civil servants if you want, but Congress comes through for the American public every now and again.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has made permanent the FCC‘s and FAA‘s ban on in-flight voice calls. Cellphones being used to annoying and obnoxious lengths on airplanes was apparently a scary enough prospect to push Congress to vote on the matter. Congress has been considering this bill to put and in-flight calling ban in to the law-books since April, and we’re finally seeing the results of the legislative body’s back-and-forths on the issue.

Frequent fliers won’t have to worry that their next flight will have them seated next to that obnoxious loud-talker discussing those oh-so-embarrassing personal details with whomever is unfortunate enough to be on the other end of that mobile phone conversation.

Of course, that etiquette-challenged individual will still be free to draw the entire cabin’s ill-will before and after take-off, so make sure to pack that stress-ball for your next flight. For you cellphone chatting asses out there, just know that your collective lack of class and common sense is now illegal – if only in the air. You know who you are…

[Via: AP]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • Tim

    Of course, that etiquette-challenged individual will still be free to draw the entire cabin’s ill-will before and after take-off,

    Umm… I think that should read before take off and after landing…

  • John Slioch

    As normal the USA will be left behind with the rest of the world deploying cellphone technology on aircraft such as Emirates and Air France who have been deploying such technology.

    So far, from what I have read in the press there has been no air rage related issues with these services.

    I think the USA will miss out on technolgy again becuase of a few opinionated people who have not even tried the service and will stop the US public from a service that the rest of world will be enjoying.

    JS