Mobile Communications on Aircraft
 

The UK's telecoms regulator Ofcom has released a statement on MCA (Mobile Communications on Aircraft), detailing how the use of mobile phones will be licensed.
NB this covers on-board systems installed within aircraft, and not the use of phones to communicate with ground networks.
Ofcom mentions "the potential for discomfort, anti-social behaviour and “air rage” on board."

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/mca/statement/

SMS yes
voice calls Absolutely not It will create a disaster. Please please please do not let the airtravel to sink to new lows!

"Yeah, i'm on the plane". Please no! Every other form of transport is blighted by this - air travel has so far been a sanctuary. Let's keep it that way!

I am astonished the cabin crew unions are not fighting this. The amount of hassle this will create, means it can only lead to aggro for the poor cabin crew.

Can you imagine it, sitting next to some loudmouth on an eight hour flight, after a four hour delay, trying to get some sleep, when at 0200hrs, 'ring ring' or some other suitably stupid nauseating ringtone, followed by lots of really loud inane conversation from the person right next to you.

The fights that will ensue over this, just don't bear thinking about. Best give the cabin crew some martial arts training.

I guess I could live with texting and E-mail, but voice calls - oh my f****** god, please no.

Did you not see this from last week?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/7308041.stm

Emirates have launched this service already on one of their aircraft and rolling it out across their fleet.

As far as I am aware there was no mass brawl on the aircraft and the aircraft was not put into a tail spin by passengers using their mobile phones!

To an extent, I admire EKs decision to go ahead with this. Perhaps it will dispell some myths surrounding all of this.

Hi All

OH NO... They are bad enough on trains now they are in the air. It will be interesting to see who deploys the system, I can strike they off my list of people I want to fly with.

Discussion ongoing HERE