IP: more on Airline grounds in-flight phone service

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 08:39:02 -0800
> From: Ari Ollikainen <Ari () OLTECO com>
>
> At 8:56 AM -0500 2/7/02, David Farber wrote:
> > > From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
> > >
> > > Airline grounds in-flight phone service
> > > By Sam Ames
> > > Staff Writer, CNET News.com
> > > February 6, 2002, 4:20 PM PT
> > > <http://news.com.com/2100-1033-831093.html>
> > >
> > > Airlines are throwing away those phones built into the seats, and 
> > > they're blaming it all on cell phones.
> > > American Airlines will discontinue its AT&T in-flight phone service by 
> > > March 31, a spokesman for the airline said Wednesday.
>
>         Interesting spin by Sam Ames...but the reality is that
>         AT&T Wireless is leaving the in-flight phone business claiming
>         that "aviation no longer fits into At&T's long-term business
>         plan" according to Mark Siegel of AT&T Wireless.
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29928-2002Feb5.html
>
>         The more troubling thing about this is the fact that during the
>         9/11 hijackings, passengers used in-flight phones AND cell phones
>         to contact loved ones, relatives, and authorities. Severing
>         in-flight service will leave only cell phones for emergency
>         communication use by passengers...which, of course, is prohibited
>         by the FAA.

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