|
cadenas -> RE: Hallelujah! No cell phones on planes. (4/10/2007 10:36:44 PM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: kiyari
There is some doubt as to whether cell phones from PLANES even function... casting some doubt as to those 9-11 convos. I once tried using one of those onboard phones where U use your cc and even for an 800 number min charge is (was) $50, and we were ascending... and the reception was marginal at best, and this was NYC takeoff.
The technology is totally different. What had been proposed was actually to put the equivalent of a cell phone tower onto the airplane, and then radio the cell phone signal to the ground from this equipment. So your cell phone would never actually have to radio to the ground.
The onboard phones have somewhat similar technology, but much older. That's probably why reception was poor. Also, as far as I know, they use satellites. That means that quality would be poorer the closer you are to the ground (not sure by how much), and you may get better quality in mid-flight. The angle of the plane may also well make a difference.
On 9/11, the cell phones of course would have radioed directly to the ground. Technologically, that works from a flying aircraft, but only marginally. For one, they were probably at least half a mile up in the air. For another, they were likely going at at least 300 mph - switching from one cell phone tower to another isn't designed for that kind of speed, but it's conceivable.
I hear of people making (illegal) calls even from cruising altitude and nearly Mach 1 speed.
|
|
|
|
