BBC News: Opposition to mobile phone chat on planes

zagfles

Jon_01 wrote: »

When I started training at Orange (please don't throw things, I don't work there any more!), we were told that 'the speed of the network' was 56 mph. In that, if you were moving faster than that you couldn't get a reliable connection.
I have no idea if that was true then or is now? But I'm sure most aircraft go a bit faster than that?

What?? So a mobile in a car going 70mph or a train going 120mph+ wouldn't work?? :rotfl:

NFH

zagfles wrote: »

Passengers on the 9/11 flight UA93 made mobile calls at 40,000 feet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_93

I believe that was using some weird technology that was popular in the US at the time, probably analogue but possibly CDMA. Analogue has a much greater range than GSM.

zagfles

NFH wrote: »

I believe that was using some weird technology that was popular in the US at the time, probably analogue but possibly CDMA. Analogue has a much greater range than GSM.

GSM has a range of 35km according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_site#Range

NFH

zagfles wrote: »

GSM has a range of 35km according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_site#Range

That's what I had always thought (something to do with synchronous time slots or something), but according to BBC Radio 4's Money Box today, there are reports of people in the UK logging on to networks a long way (>35km) from the UK and receiving calls and texts. Maybe 3G voice has a longer range than 2G voice GSM.

Kite2010

zagfles wrote: »

At least on the tube, or a train, you can usually go and sit elsewhere if some PITA big-shot is shouting down the phone...and trains often have "quiet zones" where mobile use is prohibited.

"quiet zones", where people go to talk on their mobiles as it's 'quieter'

Much to the annoyance of the people in the quiet zone, sitting there as they want peace and quiet

Daz2009

NFH wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25058358

I imagine these technophobes are the same type of people who object to mobile phone coverage on the Tube. But in the air, the cost is prohibitive enough to prevent passengers from making long calls that irritate fellow passengers. As far as I know, the two main providers of in-flight mobile coverage, OnAir and AeroMobile, don't supply SIM cards so all users have to pay high roaming charges. I don't see what the problem is.

It's not a case of being technophobes,it's a case of there being too many ignorant selfish people in the world who have no consideration for others.

I can think of a few places where I'd like to see no mobile phone coverage,on a plane is one of them