U.S. Airlines prepare for in-flight Battle-Royale

Here it comes, the complete absurdity of allowing people to use their cellphones in flight. Imagine all those obnoxiously loud callers conducting their business, talking as loud as they can so people can hear how important they are. I wonder how many weeks it will take before someone’s phone get stomped on and the air marshall springs into action.

With technology and regulators moving rapidly, passengers could be making and receiving cell phone calls aboard U.S. airline flights next year. On May 10, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission will auction radio spectrum that will allow telecom companies to operate wireless Internet and cell phone services for air travel. Already, several companies, including Verizon Communications, AirCell and AeroMobile are lining up to bid. The FAA recently approved a Verizon Wi-Fi system that lets laptops connect to the Internet from airplanes. If Verizon wins spectrum at the May auction, the company says the system could be up and running in 2007. WSJ.com, 3-14-06