Are Cell Phones Safe to use on Planes?
You may be one of those conscientious people who always turn your cell phone off when you get on an aeroplane. You’re even annoyed the person sitting next to you whose phone has been set to vibrate and is pressed up against the seat in such a way to give you a jolt every fifteen minutes throughout the flight. You follow the rules even though you haven’t got a clue why, really, that it is a requirement. You have some vague notion that the plane may blow up or at the very least lose its radar if you answer your phone when it rings in the air. The flight attendant makes it very clear on every flight you take that it’s a serious violation of flying rules to answer your cell phone mid-flight. And so you comply.
Your Sim Free mobile is still vibrating and the woman sitting beside you is looking at you out of the corner of your eye, wondering what you will do next. You wonder, whats the big deal? You glance around for the flight attendant and answer your phone.
No, of course, the plane does not go down in flames. But there is actually a very good reason why airlines prohibit the use of Sim free mobile phones on their flights. Actually there are two reasons. Firstly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that wireless signal may interfere with the planes avionics and communications equipment. This is why cell phones are banned in hospitals. Because there is it has been the signals that phones emit can be interfere with the operation of ventilators, monitors and pacemakers. In fact, there have been a number of documented cases where cell phones in hospitals have caused equipment to go shut down. Most cell phone users have absolutely no idea that their cell phones are actually high-powered transmitters which send signals whether they are using them or not.
Sim free mobile phones are prohibited from use on planes for another reason. The FCC has discovered that they can actually interfere with the service for those who are on the ground. When cell phones are used while in the air and while they are in motion, they must communication with many different cell towers. This can cause the towers to become overloaded and communication service is disrupted.
Law enforcement personnel are looking into ways to disable Sim mobile phones via technical means so that service is automatically halted before the aeroplane even leaves the airport. They do not want to have to take the phones for customers. They want to allow them to at least bring them with them on the plane, but so many people are ignoring the request to turn them off that they feel they may have no alternative but to do so. They are even considering implementing a stricter position for dealing with this significant problem. They are even considering making it against the law so that criminal charges can be filed against anyone who violates the law.
The next time you’re flying, consider these explanations. A little understanding goes a long way in helping to keep things simple and our freedoms intact.