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North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical RE: How do I log on while in flight?
The FCC prohibits communication using a cellular telephone while in an
aircraft in US airspace. In Canada, I don't believe there is such a
regulation.
>From doing research on this topic earlier this year, I came across news
articles that say that several aircraft manufacturers have tested the use of
cellular telephones on aircraft systems and found no effects whatsoever. So
why the FCC ruling?
Likely it's because of the design of the cellular network - which from what I
understand, is far more dense in the US than it is in Canada (which might be
why the CRTC doesn't have such a prohibition). The problem is what happens
when a cellular device is based above the cellular system antennae - there is
an ability to connect to multiple systems simultaneously, and that's something
the system wasn't designed to see happen. Additionally, there's the hand-off
factor, of the negotiation process of what happens when you leave the range of
one cellular tower and enter the range of another. In an aircraft, that
happens at a rate greater than would be if the cellular phone were used in a
car - so again, there's a problem there. The Airphone system found on
commercial aircraft was designed to overcome these limitations - which is why
they CAN be used onboard commercial aircraft systems.
So, besides it being illegal, you run the risk of taking down your service
provider's cellular network - and from what I've heard, this doesn't make them
very happy.
In summary - don't do it.
-- Leigh Anne Chisholm
Network Engineer
Applied Design Networks
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of
> Scott Weeks
> Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 2:11 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: How do I log on while in flight?
>
> I was wondering if any of y'all could give me pointers to services I could
> use to log into a network during flight on a private airplane. For example
> a person is in flight cross-country and needs to do a videoconference,
> send email from his network to interested parties, or any of the normal
> things we do from the ground. Is this possible or would it interfere with
> the plane's other systems?
>
> scott
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