Cell Phone Jammers On Planes
Yesterday I was onboard a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Manila. Even before we actually landed at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, (few seconds before actual touchdown) there were these STUPID people taking out their mobile phones and checking for their voicemail! Some even making calls! All this despite warning annoucements made by the flight crew!
The reason mobile phones are banned from planes is that they may interfere with planes’ electronic systems, especially during critical points in flight, such as takeoffs and landings and any time when the plane is flying less than 10000 feet above ground. Another reason is that they can jam mobile phone towers on the ground. A mobile phone signal from thousands of feet above ground can be picked up by dozens of mobile phone towers, causing them to block or drop calls from other callers.
Wouldn’t it be good to enjoy a quite flight deviod of those annoying ringtones, those talking extra loudly on the mobile phones just because their mobile phone signals cant get through the metal tube (fuselage of the plane)? Wouldn’t it be good to block these nimcompoops from using their mobile phones on the aircraft (just like they have banned smoking on most flights)?
And its not like mobile phone jamming technology is restricted to the likes of FBI spooks. Ordinary people can also own them, so why not the airlines?
How does a mobile phone jammer work?
Mobile phones send signals along a range of the frequencies reserved for their use. All a mobile phone jamming device does is send out tons of signals on those same frequencies, which effectively prevents any other devices trying to transmit in that range of frequencies. Most mobile phone users will probably just see the “no signal available” on their mobile phone screen.
Ok so if mobile phone jamming on an airplane sounds too heavy handed, why can’t they just install (or carry portable) mobile phone detectors? These devices detect mobile phones and other two-way radio transmissions and accordingly set off an alarm. Flight pursers/attendants can then take appropriate action to “silence” that phone.