by Tim Wood
Last updated: 4:20 PM ET, Thu December 12, 2013
Just as the Federal Communications Commission appears to be taking steps to lift the ban on in-flight cellphone calls, another government heavyweight today said, "Not so fast, my friend."
The FCC voted 3-2 Thursday during a Congressional panel to consider lifting the ban on in-flight use.
But FCC chairman Thomas Wheeler made it clear during the hearing that the FCC handles the technology side of this issue, and that he sees no technical reason to continue the ban.
"I'm the last person in the world who wants to listen to someone talking to me while I fly across the country," Wheeler said. "But we are the technical agency, and we will make the rules for the way the new technology works."
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx released a statement Thursday saying he believes the issue falls under Department of Transportation jurisdiction.
"As the FCC has said before, their sole role on this issue is to examine the technical feasibility of the use of mobile devices in flight. We believe USDOT's role, as part of our Aviation Consumer Protection Authority, is to determine if allowing these calls is fair to consumers," Foxx said.
The DOT, which includes the Federal Aviation Administration, oversees travel safety issues, but is also charged with protecting the rights of travelers.
Foxx went on to say that the issue has been heard loud and clear at the DOT and that he and his colleagues will look at the possible ban of in-flight calls.
"Over the past few weeks, we have heard of concerns raised by airlines, travelers, flight attendants, members of Congress and others who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight - and I am concerned about this possibility as well," Foxx said.
"USDOT will now begin a process that will look at the possibility of banning these in-flight calls. As part of that process, USDOT will give stakeholders and the public significant opportunity to comment."
Almost simultaneous to Foxx releasing his statement Thursday, U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation to ban cellphone communications on commercial airline flights.
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a bill that would prohibit in-flight voice calls but allow for texting.
All this as the public continues to weigh in more and more on the side of not wanting the calls on U.S. planes.
A Quinnapiac study released Wednesday said that those questioned opposed cell phone use on planes by a 29 percent margin. 59-30. And that support is just as strong among the tech-saavy youth that most felt are in support of calls on planes.
Poll respondents aged 18 to 29 said they oppose the use of cell phones in flight, 52 to 29 percent.
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