Many posts ago somebody stated that their cell phone had received three texts welcoming them to a country that the aircraft they were in had transited at FL330
If this occurred it would have required a “handshake” signal exchange between the phone and mobile network operator.
I can’t help wondering if those coordinating the SAR effort have considered cross referencing the mobile phone numbers of all on board with every cellular network that flight MH370 could conceivably have over flown?
I wil guarantee you this has been checked very early on.
If we find this plane, more than likely it is due to some device that has been detected pinging away. Could be passenger mobile phones. Could be ACARS. Could be engine telemetry. These signals may have been received by various means other than the intended network.
Note that RR aren't saying there was no transmission. Just that they didn't receive any transmission. That seems to tie in with the WSJ clarification.
White House: Hunt for missing airliner may extend to Indian Ocean - The Washington Post
One senior administration official said the data showing the plane engines running hours after contact was lost came from the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, a way that planes maintain contact with ground stations through radio or satellite signals. The official said Malaysian authorities shared the flight data with the administration.
Interestingly, this doesn't state in which direction the information was shared. Words can be chosen very carefully and used very specifically at times.