The Federal Communications Commission is considering allowing cellphone use on airline flights above 10,000 feet, a change that could provide a healthy cash windfall for carriers while risking upsetting passengers who have to endure chatty seatmates.
The agency, which prohibits cellphone use for making phone calls or accessing data in flight, is circulating proposed rulemaking allowing airlines and business aircraft operators to install cellular base stations that would transmit data and voice from airplanes to cellular networks on the ground. Airlines could control when voice and data services are available and charge extra for access.
