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From: Tad.Cook%ssc.UUCP@hpubvwa.uucp
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Use on Airport Runway
Message-ID: <12355@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 18 Sep 90 05:14:00 GMT
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In article <12175@accuvax.nwu.edu>, monty@sunne.east.sun.com (Monty
Solomon) writes:

> An article in today's "Wall Street Journal" (9/14/90 p B1) states that
> the FCC banned the use of cellular phones in planes on the ground
> because they figured that people wouldn't hang up when the flight took
> off.

> How does cellular phone use in the air interfere with users on the
> ground?

Because it hogs a frequency used by many users in different cells.
The great thing about cellular phone systems is that they are very
efficient in terms of spectrum usage.  This is because as you move
from cell to cell, you are shifted by the cell site to different
frequencies.  Two adjacent cells never use the same frequencies, but
the frequency that you are on may be used by another user two or three
cells away.  The system depends on everyone being on the ground and
running low power.  Otherwise it cannot function.

When you use a cellular phone from a plane, many cell sites can hear
your signal, so you end up hogging that frequency throughout the
entire system.  A few cellular callers in the air could cause major
problems.  

> It would seem reasonable to permit cellular phone use from the plane
> once it lands.  Why did the FCC prohibit this as well?

Because they were afraid the users would not stop talking once the
plane took off.  I also have a feeling that they may have been nervous
about possible interference with the plane's various electronic
systems for navigation and communications.


Tad Cook   Seattle, WA   Packet: KT7H @ N7HFZ.WA.USA.NA  Phone: 206/527-4089 
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