As Wi-Fi service becomes increasingly available on flights, it’s only a matter of time before passengers begin making voice calls over the Wi-Fi connection using one of several popular messaging services. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a proposal last week to require airlines to disclose in advance to consumers if the carrier operating their flight allows passengers to make voice calls.
Currently, the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) rules prohibit the use of mobile devices on certain radio frequencies onboard aircraft, including for voice calls. However, the existing FCC rules do not cover Wi-Fi* and other means by which it may become possible to make and receive voice calls.
“Consumers deserve to have clear and accurate information about whether an airline permits voice calls before they purchase a ticket and board the aircraft,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx in an official release. “Today’s proposal will ensure that air travelers are not unwillingly exposed to voice calls, as many of them are troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight.”
Under the DOT proposal, disclosure about voice calls being permitted on a flight is required from the beginning of the transaction process. The DOT said that consumers would be unfairly surprised and harmed if they learned only after the purchase of a ticket (or, worse, after boarding the aircraft) that the carrier permits voice calls on its flights. No disclosure is required if the flight does not allow voice calls.
The DOT is also seeking comment on whether disclosure is sufficient or whether it should simply ban voice calls on flights within, to or from the U.S. Members of the public can comment on the NPRM at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2014-0002. Comments are open for 60 days.
*Editor’s Note: U.S. airlines currently block the use of messaging services that can make voice calls over Wi-Fi connections, though the idea is that some forms of communication may slip through the cracks or that individual airlines may open up their Wi-Fi connections to allow voice calls in the future.
