An oft missed, but important, issue is: what type of mobile phone? We all know how irritating a GSM phone can be with the interference it creates on other electrical equipment, but what about CDMA? Little or no interference caused by CDMA handsets, and generically lumped in with GSM as a Bad Thing to have on aircraft, but is it?
We have CDMA car kits in all our helicopters, as do many other operators in Victoria, fed in through the ICS as another radio. Our Department of Sustainability and Environment, who control the fire fighting helicopters here, require CDMA phones to be installed along with HF, trunking radios, et al. Along with superior range and data handling, CDMA (to the best of my knowledge) has no problem interfacing with aircraft, and causes no interference. Maybe the different types of phone systems should be a consideration, and only GSM banned?