UK Considers Use of Cell Phones During Flight

Via PC World -

The U.K.'s telecoms regulator Ofcom Thursday proposed allowing British airlines to offer mobile phone services to passengers via onboard base stations.

The move is being considered by telecoms and air safety agencies throughout the European Union after the Electronic Communications Committee, a European agency, recently gave the go-ahead in principle. Ofcom is the first telecom regulator to support the idea publicly, but Air France is already looking into fitting one of its latest Airbus aircraft with the system with On Air, an offshoot of Airbus SAS.

While airlines have offered in-flight outbound telephone services through airline networks, the U.K. proposal will let passengers use their own handsets to make calls, Ofcom said in a statement. The service still requires approval by the Civil Aviation Authority, the U.K.'s air transportation regulator.

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Horrible idea. Bad, Bad, Bad.

I like to think that I fly more than the average American and I have to say that I am very glad that phones have to be turned off when the door closes.

Planes are little flying gas cans that squeeze as many people into a tiny space as possible. They aren't very quiet, they aren't very clean and depending on where you sit, they don't smell too fun either.

It is hard to move, hard to read, hard to sleep..and hard getting to the bathroom.

Lets not increase the level of stress by allowing phones...please no.