Boeing: Cell Phones on Planes by 2006

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

June 16, 2005, 11:47 AM

Boeing says that even though a large majority of the flying public is against it, the company expects to begin selling cell phone access by next year. In order for this to happen, however, Boeing must convince the Federal Avation Administration to not only ignore airline passengers, but also some cellular phone companies as well.

Wireless provider Cingular late last week came out in opposition to a lift of the ban, saying, "We believe there is a time and a place for wireless phone conversations, and seldom does that include the confines of an airplane flight."

But Boeing is still optimistic. "We expect that once the regulatory issues and the social issues are ironed out we'll be introducing that (mobile phone) service as well," Laurette Koellner, president of Connexion by Boeing told Reuters at the Paris Air Show. "The technology is pretty well figured out."

A poll commissioned by the National Consumers League and a flight attendant's union showed heavy opposition to allowing cell phone use on planes.

There are several possibilities of offering a compromise to those who wish to use their phones. One is a "quiet zone" of the airplane, where usage of phones would be prohibited. Another is quiet times, which would ban use of phones at certain points during a flight. According to Koellner, the latter is the most likely solution.

In any case, Cingular plans to encourage its users to refrain from airborne cell phone use, whether or not the ban is lifted. "Cingular will encourage passengers to 'tap, not talk' - that is, to use discreet services such as text messaging and e-mail as opposed to voice communications in flight."