U.S. moves closer to banning cell phones in flight

Europeans have been rumbling rapidly toward legalizing cell phone conversations in flight, but in the U.S., the sentiment is exactly the opposite. Not only are consumers down on the idea, the U.S. Congress is getting in on the game, with a key House of Representatives committee voting to approve the so-called, horribly-named Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act and send it to the full House of Representatives for a full vote. The Act would make banning in-flight cellular calls a matter of federal law; right now they are banned only because of guidelines from the FCC and the FAA.

HANG UP has a long way to go before becoming a law, but I can't imagine it will encounter any serious resistance along the way. U.S. consumers have overwhelmingly stated they do not want people to be able to use cell phones while flying (in a typical poll, 3 out of 4 consumers support such a ban), and U.S. Congresspeople likely see passing the law as a simple (and free) way to prove they're "listening to their constituents."

If you're a communications junkie, the good news is that HANG UP still allows for the use of data services like web browsing and email, so even if/when it passes it won't impact systems like those from American and Virgin America which let you use your laptop to access the Internet while you're flying. And lest you're thinking of skirting the imminent ban through some high-tech sleight of hand, most of these types of services already have filters in place that prevent the use of VOIP services like Skype.

But really, I wonder if HANG UP is really going to, as the name implies, "halt airplane noise" for real. Last time I checked jet engines clock in at about 140 decibels, which, when I'm flying, is all I can ever hear. Maybe Congress can put an end to this loud menace through some well-written legislation. (Kidding, folks.)

LINK: In-fllight cell call ban advances in Congress