Originally Posted by
ExXB
… and I still would like to be able to check my voice-mail, text or even talk on my phone while onboard. No, I don't shout on my phone. I speak at the same level as when talking to friends and colleagues. But some airlines allow some of all of the above, and others don't
I'm not technical, but I believe the issue relates to RF energy. Without onboard cellphone transponder systems cell phones will try and locate the nearest cell and will ramp up their signal/energy to try and locate the it. If you imagine, flying at 400mph, you are going through cells farily quickly so the phone will be trying to find and locate a cell frequently. Now multiply that by 150x for each passeneger and that's a whole lot of RF energy.
Now the issue isn't so much that it's proven to interfere with aircraft signals, but that it hasn't been proven not to. Electromagnetic compatibility is a funny beast. That's why you can only use a phone on those aircraft with fitted systems.
Small, non-communications devices such as ipods, kindles etc generate much smaller RF energy signals.
That and the fact that whilst you (and I) might be quiet, you can guarantee others won't be. Also, in normal conversation you have speak and pause - with mobiles you could have 100 people talking at once. you imagine the noise of 100.
That and the fact that I'm not so important that I can't be off the grid for an hour!