The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on
Wednesday kicked off efforts that could reshape the communications
services available to airline passengers.
The FCC has proposed to relax its ban on the use of cellular
phones in flight. It will auction radio frequencies in the 800MHz
band in the hopes of spurring new onboard services that could
include voice, data and broadband internet access, the agency said
in a statement.
The services could be provided for commercial, military and
general aviation. The FCC proposed three possible configurations of
the spectrum, all of which are designed to ensure at least two
operators in that band, and will let private industry settle on
one.
There is 4MHz of spectrum in the 800MHz band set aside for
air-to-ground communications, but only one service, Verizon
Communications Airfone, is using that spectrum, according to the
FCC.
The Airfone seatback phone service is expensive, limited to
voice and not often used, commissioner Michael Copps said in a
statement on the decision. The FCC granted Verizon Airfone a new,
five-year, non-renewable licence on Wednesday, but limited that
service to 1MHz of the 4MHz band.
Service providers that participate in the auction could choose
an arrangement in which two carriers each have 3MHz of spectrum,
overlapping in the middle part of the band, or one of two
configurations that set aside a 3MHz band exclusively for one
carrier and a 1MHz band exclusively for another.
"Our rules for the 800MHz commercial air-ground service has been
locked into a narrowly defined technological and regulatory box and
have kept passengers from using their wireless devices on planes,"
FCC chairman Michael Powell said.
The agency should not dictate business plans by choosing only
one band plan, he said. Commissioners Copps and Jonathan Adelstein
voiced concerns about auctioning an exclusive 3MHz licence, and
said the remaining 1MHz license would not give a rival carrier
enough bandwidth to effectively compete.
The agency also proposed allowing passengers to use standard
wireless handsets and other devices via a "picocell," a small base
station on the plane. Phones would also have to operate at their
lowest power setting and not allow unwanted radio emissions to
interfere with land-based cell networks.
FCC rules currently prohibit using cell phones after take-off,
and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations restrict
the use of any mobile phones and other portable electronic devices
to prevent interference to on-board communications and navigation
gear.
In its notice of the proposed rules, the FCC is seeking public
comment on whether the plan should apply only to devices operating
in the 800MHz cellular band or include other types of phones, such
as those in the personal communications systems or advanced
wireless services bands. It also wants ideas about how the 800MHz
air-to-ground spectrum could be used as a "pipe" between an
aircraft and a network on the ground. The agency is co-ordinating
with the FAA, which is examining its own rules, according to the
FCC statement.
In his statement on Wednesday's decisions, Copps welcomed the
idea of exploring the issue but said he was worried about the
possible fall-out for airline passengers. "Many airline passengers
do not relish the idea of sitting next to someone yelling into
their cell phones for an entire six-hour flight," Copps wrote. He
urged consumers to participate in the proposed ruling.
Stephen Lawson writes for the IDG News Service