Oak Ridge Today

Alexander, Feinstein introduce bill to stop cell phone calls on planes

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U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander on Thursday introduced legislation to prohibit cell phone conversations on commercial airline flights, a possibility the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to consider today (Thursday).

“Keeping phone conversations private on commercial flights may not be enshrined in the Constitution, but it is certainly enshrined in common sense,” said Alexander, a Tennessee Republican. “This legislation is about avoiding something nobody wants: nearly two million passengers a day, hurtling through space, trapped in 17-inch-wide seats, yapping their innermost thoughts.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, is an original cosponsor of the legislation. [Read more…]

Alexander opposes cell phone calls on airplanes as FCC considers rule change

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KLM 747

A low-flying KLM 747 airplane is pictured above. (Photo by Kitty Terwolbeck/Creative Commons License 2.0)

A proposed rule change announced Thursday that would allow air travelers to make cell phone calls above 10,000 feet has already generated a backlash.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said he would also oppose the move.

“Imagine two million passengers, hurtling through space, trapped in 17-inch-wide seats, yapping their innermost thoughts,” Alexander said. “The Transportation Security Administration would have to hire three times as many air marshals to deal with the fistfights.”

On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission said it will consider changing the rules, which Chairman Tom Wheeler called out-of-date. The change would also allow air travelers to use their cellular data plans above 10,000 feet. Restrictions would remain for takeoffs and landings. [Read more…]