US FCC reconsiders ban on mobile phones on planes

Two US agencies have opened a public debate over whether to maintain the ban on mobile phone use on aeroplanes.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Thomas Wheeler told Congress on Thursday there was no longer any rationale for the rule.

But Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said he was 'concerned' about allowing mobile use.

A recent poll suggested 59% of Americans who flew in the past year were against allowing calls on planes.

The FCC proposal to end the ban comes just weeks after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its ban on using personal electronic devices on flights.

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When the rationale for a rule doesn't exist, the rule shouldn't exist'

Use of mobile phones on flights has been prohibited for 22 years out of concern the calls would interfere with cellular networks on the ground, but technological changes have resolved those issues.

Mr Wheeler said he had called the chief executives of major airlines to assure them the firms would not be required to allow calls on their flights.

And the FCC chairman said he was 'the last person in the world' who would want to listen to others' phone conversations on a plane.

But lifting the decades-old ban was 'the responsible thing to do', he said.

'When the rationale for a rule doesn't exist, the rule shouldn't exist,' he said. He said the decision to ban phone calls on flights should be left to the airlines.

But in a statement released soon after Mr Wheeler's testimony, Mr Foxx said the Department of Transportation was inclined to institute its own ban, under its authority to protect aviation consumers.

'Over the past few weeks, we have heard of concerns raised by airlines, travelers, flight attendants, members of Congress and others who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight - and I am concerned about this possibility as well,' he said.

A recent poll by the Associated Press news agency suggested that 48% of Americans opposed allowing mobile phone calls during flights. Among those who flew at least once last year, it was 59%.

And 78% of Americans who flew more than four times in the past year said they were against mobile use.

A labour union representing flight attendants opposes the ban's removal, arguing calls could provoke fights among passengers.

In a statement, Delta Air Lines said it would not allow voice calls if the ban were removed, as the airline's customers showed an 'overwhelming sentiment' against such a move.

However, the Telecommunications Industry Association, a lobbying group for US mobile phone providers, supports removing the ban, arguing where mobile phones are allowed on planes, calls typically last one to two minutes and often involve only checking voicemail messages.