Updated Dec. 12, 2013 4:27 p.m. ET
The Department of Transportation said Thursday it will look at banning in-flight phone calls, a surprise announcement issued just hours before the Federal Communications Commission voted to consider abolishing a 22-year-old ban.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that his department has heard from airlines, fliers, flight attendants, lawmakers and others "who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight—and I am concerned about this possibility as well."
Mr. Foxx said although it is up to the FCC to determine if it is technically feasible to use phones safely during flight, the Transportation Department has the authority "to determine if allowing these calls is fair to consumers."
Amid a growing backlash against the notion of aircraft passengers making voice calls from their seats, the FCC voted 3 to 2 on Thursday to advance a proposal that would lift the technical ban on inflight mobile use, leaving it to the airlines to decide whether to retrofit their planes to provide wireless services.
Commission officials were careful to note that the evaluation was limited to whether the ban can still be justified on a technical basis. The FCC has banned cellphone use since 1991 over concerns they could interfere with wireless networks on the ground, but the Federal Aviation Administration said recently that cell phones pose no safety threat to aircraft.
FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler told Congress Thursday morning that its in-flight ban on cellphones is out of date.
"I do not want the person in the seat next to me yapping at 35,000 feet any more than anyone else. But we are not the Federal Courtesy Commission. Our mandate from Congress is to oversee how networks function," he said in prepared remarks during a congressional committee hearing on FCC oversight. "I am painfully aware of the emotional response this proposal has triggered. Yet, I firmly believe that if we are serious about eliminating regulations which serve no purpose, the decision is clear."
At a separate congressional hearing on aviation on Thursday, the airline industry's lead lobbyist said the FCC's ban should be lifted if airborne calls are determined to be safe. "We think the decision [of allowing in-flight calls] should be left up to airlines" said Nick Calio, head of Airlines for America, the industry's largest trade group.
Some lawmakers applauded the Transportation Department's announcement on Thursday.
"Being able to logon to text and email is useful for passengers, but it's just unnecessary to have potentially dozens of phone conversations occurring during a flight," said Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican. "When it comes to mobile devices on planes, tap, don't talk."
Mr. Shuster, who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced legislation earlier this week that would ban in-flight calls.
Write to Jack Nicas at [email protected]
The Department of Transportation said Thursday it will look at banning in-flight phone calls, a surprise announcement issued just hours before the Federal Communications Commission voted to consider abolishing a 22-year-old ban.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement that his department has heard from airlines, fliers, flight attendants, lawmakers and others "who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight—and I am concerned about this possibility as well."
Mr. Foxx said although it is up to the FCC to determine if it is technically feasible to use phones safely during flight, the Transportation Department has the authority "to determine if allowing these calls is fair to consumers."
Amid a growing backlash against the notion of aircraft passengers making voice calls from their seats, the FCC voted 3 to 2 on Thursday to advance a proposal that would lift the technical ban on inflight mobile use, leaving it to the airlines to decide whether to retrofit their planes to provide wireless services.
Commission officials were careful to note that the evaluation was limited to whether the ban can still be justified on a technical basis. The FCC has banned cellphone use since 1991 over concerns they could interfere with wireless networks on the ground, but the Federal Aviation Administration said recently that cell phones pose no safety threat to aircraft.
FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler told Congress Thursday morning that its in-flight ban on cellphones is out of date.
"I do not want the person in the seat next to me yapping at 35,000 feet any more than anyone else. But we are not the Federal Courtesy Commission. Our mandate from Congress is to oversee how networks function," he said in prepared remarks during a congressional committee hearing on FCC oversight. "I am painfully aware of the emotional response this proposal has triggered. Yet, I firmly believe that if we are serious about eliminating regulations which serve no purpose, the decision is clear."
At a separate congressional hearing on aviation on Thursday, the airline industry's lead lobbyist said the FCC's ban should be lifted if airborne calls are determined to be safe. "We think the decision [of allowing in-flight calls] should be left up to airlines" said Nick Calio, head of Airlines for America, the industry's largest trade group.
Some lawmakers applauded the Transportation Department's announcement on Thursday.
"Being able to logon to text and email is useful for passengers, but it's just unnecessary to have potentially dozens of phone conversations occurring during a flight," said Rep. Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican. "When it comes to mobile devices on planes, tap, don't talk."
Mr. Shuster, who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced legislation earlier this week that would ban in-flight calls.
Write to Jack Nicas at [email protected]