Hang up act: in-flight phone ban.

• Author: Sullum, Jacob
• Position: Citings - Brief article

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) both prohibit the use of cell phones on airplanes in flight. The FCC's ban is meant to avoid overtaxing cellular towers, while the FAA's nile is aimed at preventing interference with an airplane's navigation and communication systems. Now that new technology addresses the concerns of both agencies, members of Congress cite a different reason for banning phones from flights: They're annoying.

"The public doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already over-packed airplane" declares Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chief sponsor of the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act, which would codify the cell phone ban and explicitly extend it to voice-over-Internet calls on flights that offer Wi-Fi access. "Cell phone users should not be able to disrupt the comfort of an entire airplane cabin, especially when other passengers have no choice but to sit there and listen."

The Inflight...