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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?
Thus spake "Stephen J. Wilcox" <[email protected]> > I seem to recall a program on the Discovery Channel [ ;Pp ] where > cellphone, FM/AM radio, walkman and CD player emitted radiation > possibly could interfere with some old equipment on old aircraft (ie > probably precautionary rather than real risk) .. I forget the detail but > on an affected plane it did sound fairly nasty! Nearly all aircraft have AM radios in them (it's called the ADF), so I'd be surprised if those caused interference :) Boeing and the FAA did thousands of hours of testing and were unable to cause any avionics of any vintage to malfunction when cell phones et al were in use inside the cabin. The official position is that personal electronic devices produce interference levels above the certified minimum tolerance levels of avionics. Even if the avionics can withstand higher interference, they're still being operated outside their certification and that's illegal. There do exist telephone and datalink systems which are certified for use aboard aircraft (private or commercial). However, I doubt you'll be interested when you see the cost. > Think it was a similar thing in hospitals.. ? I was in an ER a couple days ago; the laptop computers in the halls used 802.11b and the doctors carried standard cell phones. If there was a problem in the past, it's not around any more. Similarly, HDTV broadcasts took down a lot of pacemakers when they first cranked up; the affected units have either all been replaced or killed their owner -- problem solved. S
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