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Even in the age of widespread smartphone use, airlines would still regularly tell passengers to turn off their phones during flight. The explanation always had something to do with interference with the system. In 2013, the FCC under the Obama administration proposed a bill that might reverse this, which would have effectively lifted the ban on calls while inside airplanes. The current FCC just reversed this decision, banning smartphone use in planes once again.
The cellphone ban on planes was actually enacted way back in 1991 when portable handsets were starting to really take off. People wanted to make calls while riding airplanes, but the relatively new technology in both aircraft and cellular phones made them rather incompatible. As a result, the FCC at the time made the decision to not allow cellphone use while onboard planes, Ars Technica reports.
It has been two decades since this decision and smartphone technology has only gotten better, as well as the onboard communications systems of planes. This is why the agency felt that it was time to lift the ban back in 2013 when it was still being led by Chairman Tom Wheeler.
Under Ajit Pai, this is no longer the case, who just issued a statement defending his decision to pull the proposal. Based on his own words, it seems the current FCC chairman wants to make the ban permanent.
“I stand with airline pilots, flight attendants, and America’s flying public against the FCC’s ill-conceived 2013 plan to allow people to make cellphone calls on planes," the statement reads. "I do not believe that moving forward with this plan is in the public interest. Taking it off the table permanently will be a victory for Americans across the country who, like me, value a moment of quiet at 30,000 feet.”
Fortunately, sending text messages and using the internet during flights are still allowed. It’s also worth noting that Wheeler’s proposal was met with huge criticism, which is why it was never finalized.
