AviationBanter - View Single Post

**John S**

wrote:

According to a Lightspeed note, it says the "FCC only allows the use
of a cell phone within the cockpit when the plane is on the ground".

This pertains to USA / FCC regulations only:

Under FCC Part 22 regulations, which describes "cellular" phones in the
850-900 Mhz band, using a Part 22 "cellular" phone while airborne is legally
prohibited.

PCS phones (e.g. T-Mobile) operate under other frequencies (e.g. 1900 Mhz band)
and are regulated under FCC Part 24. Part 24 has no prohibition against using
PCS services while airborne. I don't believe what type of phone system
(GSM/TDMA or CDMA) matters a bit. The regulation was originally made to
prohibit AMPS (analog) service, and AMPS is under Part 22 only. Some CDMA and
GSM services operate on "cellular" frequencies, and under a strict
interpretation airborne use would be prohibited. However if your telephone is
operating under the 1900 Mhz band (which only has digital PCS services,
including CDMA and GSM).

In practice, I've used a PCS phone successfully up to about 4,000 ft when it
doesn't work well. However outside of some areas, good reception is usually
concentrated near Interstates etc, which your route of flight may not follow.

Some passengers/crew on the 9/11/01 flights hijacked by terrorists were
apparently able to use their mobile phones, although I'm not sure at what
altitude they were able to do this. Other calls were made via the aircraft's
pay phones.