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US agency affirms it will not allow mid-air mobile phone use

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Monday it had ended a 2013 regulatory proceeding that had sought to lift the ban on the use of mobile phones while in flight on U.S. airlines.

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the headquarters of the Federal Communications Commission in Washing
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the headquarters of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

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WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Monday it had ended a 2013 regulatory proceeding that had sought to lift the ban on the use of mobile phones while in flight on U.S. airlines.

The FCC said in 2013 it would consider allowing air travelers to make mobile phone calls about 10,000 feet, but never finalized it. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in 2017 recommended ending the proceeding.

The commission in closing the proceeding noted strong opposition from U.S. airline pilots and flight attendants and said the "record is insufficient to determine any reasonable solution that would strike an appropriate balance of competing interests."

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul)

Source: Reuters