Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wi-Fi in the sky may be on the way, but don't look for it anytime soon.

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:46:30 -0500

>> 802.11/WiFi <<
>> Wi-Fi in the Air May Not Come Anytime Soon

Using Wi-Fi while traveling through the air might not be as close as you
think. Wi-Fi radio waves could interfere with an airplane's communication
and navigation system. The Federal Aviation Administration's RTCA
(formerly the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics) is expected
to announce its recommendations by the end of summer 2004. The FAA
generally relies on reports from special committees as regulatory
guidance. Any policy implications are not likely to occur before
mid-2006
======================================================================

Wed Dec 10, 6:00 PM ET

Rita Chang, Medill News Service

Wi-Fi in the sky may be on the way, but don't look for it anytime soon.
Using the wireless (news - web sites)
functions common on a variety of
devices--such as notebooks, PDAs, and
mobile phones--is banned on airplanes due
to concerns that they emit radio waves that
could interfere with the plane's communication
and navigation systems. But that ban could be overturned.
An advisory committee to the Federal
Aviation Administration (news - web sites) is
expected to present its recommendations
on the use of wireless devices on airplanes
before next summer. The report from the
RTCA (formerly the Radio Technical
Commission for Aeronautics) could open
the door to in-flight use of wireless devices.
The committee is composed of accident investigators
and representatives from electronics and aircraft
manufacturers, airlines, and avionics manufacturers.

Track Record

The last time the RTCA issued a report on the use of wireless devices, the FAA
listened. In 1996, the advisory group told the FAA that it couldn't rule out the
possibility of interference caused by the use of wireless electronics.
"Historically, the FAA has considered the reports of special committees [like
the RTCA] to determine its regulatory guidance," says Bill Winfrey, an advanced
technologies specialist with Delta Airlines, who chairs a committee studying the
wireless issue.
However, the FAA considers many factors when making its decision, a spokesperson
says. The RTCA is "just one factor that we would consider looking at future
changes to any regulation. We will take other information and data into account
as well," says Alison Duquette, an FAA spokesperson.

Issues to Consider

Currently, the FAA evaluates the in-flight use of wireless devices on a
case-by-case basis, with individual airlines responsible for testing. Some
airlines now allow passengers to use mobile phones once the plane has touched
down. But to implement any such policy, airlines must conduct internal tests and
obtain FAA approval. So far, no airlines have approved the use of wireless
devices while airborne, generally because they cannot afford the expensive
safety tests.

Other issues the RTCA will consider include whether wireless devices should have
a standard indicator to show when their radio component is on or off. Such an
indicator would allow flight attendants to easily monitor whether devices are
operating in a safe mode. For example, many mobile phones now can be used for
functions other than making calls, as they incorporate PDA and camera features.
The question is how to identify the phone's usage mode to make it clear that it
is not being used to make calls.

With the wide array of wireless gadgets now available, the RTCA must also
address whether to adopt a blanket policy for all such devices or issue distinct
regulations for the various categories.

RTCA representatives remain mum about their findings to date. The FAA won't say
if and when it will implement any RTCA-recommended policies.

Coming Soon?

Whatever happens, don't expect any changes overnight. Winfrey cautions consumers
not to expect any movement in the next six months. An RTCA member who asked not
to be identified says changes could take even longer. Any policy amendments
would likely occur between mid-2006 and 2007, he says.

As an agency responsible for public safety, the FAA tends to err on the side of
safety; it can take its time in enacting new policies. That means the slightest
suggestion of potential interference by any wireless gadget will stall the
advent of airborne Wi-Fi.

So far, within the wireless RTCA committee, "there is concern based upon the
evidence at hand so far that there is real potential [for wireless devices] to
interfere with navigation and communications equipment," Winfrey says.
But it's still a question whether wireless devices do in fact pose a safety risk
on board.

To date, no studies conclusively show that wireless devices interfere with an
aircraft's navigation and communication equipment, according to Hank Grant, who
directs the Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility at
the University of Oklahoma.

"For the set of [mobile] phones we studied, there were no spurious emissions of
sufficient magnitude to interfere with the navigation equipment," Grant says.

However, many variables should be considered before anyone can make definitive
statements about the effects of wireless devices on aviation systems, cautions
Jeff Schiffer, director of wireless research at Intel and an RTCA member.

Industry Responds

The FAA's pace notwithstanding, wireless device makers are examining the
standards issue on their own.
"Everyone expects to take electronics aboard on aircrafts," says Doug Johnson of
the Consumer Electronics Association. "We're trying to examine how the use of
devices will be managed and new guidance on this is expected."

In parallel with the FAA's efforts, the CEA hosted a November meeting to
investigate the possible need for industry standards to allow the use of
wireless portable electronics on aircrafts. One suggestion is a common "flight
mode" designation on all portable electronic devices, to show whether a device's
transmitter is activated.

A CEA working group project will continue the industry discussion.
The group expects to issue its own recommendations in 2004.

Complicating the Process

Any efforts to set standards will be confounded by the volume of wireless device
vendors, many of them overseas. Add to the mix the pace of technology, which
makes the policy making process a moving target.

Since flight attendants cannot be expected to identify the underlying
technologies in each PDA or cell phone implementation, experts expect a single
recommendation to cover all devices.

"The goal and the desire of consumers is for manufacturers to design a system
where all these devices are compatible with a common flight-mode indicator,"
says Joe Morrissey, a staff scientist at Motorola. "There must be a consistent
feature easily viewed by airline personnel in a busy cabin."

The feature must also be practical to implement across current devices and those
not already on the market. It may not be easy to implement a single standard
feature across all personal electronics devices, given the diversity of
functions and convergence features, Morrissey says.

Even if the FAA lets passengers use their mobile phones in the air, the Federal
Communication Commission would also have to lift its ban--which is now being
reconsidered. That ban was established in 1991, due to concerns that cell phones
would interfere with terrestrial communication.

But the rule may be outdated: Twenty years ago, big cell phones drew a lot of
power, which posed potential interference with the cellular towers. Today's
mobile phones are much smaller and pose a less significant threat of
interference.

Meanwhile, air passengers flying on European carriers are already using wireless
devices on their flights. An Intel study headed by RTCA member Schiffer was
cited in a decision by the Joint Aviation Authorities, the European equivalent
of the FAA, to allow use of Bluetooth-class devices during noncritical flight
times by some European airlines.

"In the end, it's up to the airlines and their ability to respond to what their
customers want," Schiffer says.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1293&e=5&u=/pcworld/20031210/tc_pcworld/113833&sid=95612664

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