Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!apple!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!gryphon!vector!telecom-gateway From: OLE@csli.stanford.edu (Ole J. Jacobsen) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cellular Telephone Causes Airline Fire Alarm Message-ID: Date: 28 Aug 89 14:31:14 GMT Lines: 17 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 330, message 2 of 9 There are two reasons why you shouldn't use your cellular phone in an airplane. First, the airlines are parnanoid about any electrical device which "can cause interference to avionic systems" and while their fear may be largely unfounded, they have little or no sense of humor about it. I even know of an airline in the UK which forbids the use of Walkmans for the same reason. (Yes, it is pretty bogus). Secondly, the FCC does not allow the use of cellular phones in a *flying* airplane, because it may cause massive interference to the cellular system. Remember that the premise of cellular is the control of intereference through many low-powered cells and high frequency re-use. Imagine what happens when you are up in a plane above a densely populated area: all of a sudden your phone "sees" many cell sites at the same time (and the cell cites "see" it). This can result in all sorts of crosstalk and interference. Don't do it. Ole