A day after setting off an uproar among travelers opposed to in-flight phone calls, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Chairman backtracked, saying he personally isn’t in favor of calls on planes.
“We understand that many passengers would prefer that voice calls not be made on airplanes. I feel that way myself,” chairman Tom Wheeler said in a Friday statement.
The role of the FCC, he added, is to advise if there is a safety issue with using phones on planes. He said there is “no technical reason to prohibit” the use of mobile devices on planes. The decision to allow calls will ultimately rest with the airlines, Wheeler emphasized.
Just three weeks into his job, Wheeler struck a nerve with travelers Thursday when he said it was time for the agency to review “our outdated and restrictive rules” about mobile services on airplanes. The rules have been in place for 22 years. A tentative agenda for the FCC’s Dec. 12 meeting, posted Thursday, listed the proposed revision.
Wheeler seemingly underestimated the public outrage and media attention that such a move would generate.
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