PAX boy
Jamming devices. In the passenger compartment, nobody should have a cellphone switched on – hence no worry about doctors etc. I feel this is the way to go, but agree most airlines won’t on a cost/weight verses benefit argument- at least until the AAIB/NTSB cite a cellphone as the likely cause of the major accident.
I don’t think it would be difficult to get approved, around the world you probably only have about 6-8 spot frequencies for the data channel to be swamped with a local signal. Accepted that any approval is expensive – but so is an accident.
Airbridge or cabin announcements request compliance, don’t force it like jamming devices. I prefer having the flight deck in control, rather than the SLF ask to comply.
As an aside PAX boy, my background is similar to yours – radio comms. However, about 6 years ago I worked for a company calibrating ILS’s. I use to calibrate the kit used to flight test the ILS in a workshop. It was interesting to have the kit on the bench and go walkabout with a cellphone switched on, I think this was an old analogue cellphone- not the more modern digital. I could make the glide slop go from centred to full up or down just by walking up and down the workshop! OK, I know its not a scientific report, but it convinced me SLF should have all cellphones switched off!