U.S. agency affirms it will not allow mid-air mobile phone use

Reuters

Published Nov 30, 2020 10:50AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Monday it had ended a 2013 regulatory proceeding that had sought to lift the ban on the use of mobile phones while in flight on U.S. airlines.

The FCC said in 2013 it would consider allowing air travelers to make mobile phone calls about 10,000 feet, but never finalized it. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in 2017 recommended ending the proceeding.

The commission in closing the proceeding noted strong opposition from U.S. airline pilots and flight attendants and said the "record is insufficient to determine any reasonable solution that would strike an appropriate balance of competing interests."