The FCC might be ready to permit cellphone calls in flight. Here's what you need to know:

1 What's the latest? Tom Wheeler the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, unveiled a proposal last week to allow cellphone calls and Internet service during airline flights. He said it was time to re-evaluate an "outdated and restrictive" ban and that a reversion to 20-year-old rules would "expand consumer access and choice for in-flight mobile broadband." The ban would remain in effect during takeoff and landing.

2 What does that mean? The FCC said it merely approves the technical specifications of using cellphone service on planes. The airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration, he said, will ultimately decide if they want to unleash phone conversation in airline cabins. To complicate matters, the airlines actually don't need to wait for the FCC. Yes, the government would need to remove the restriction for you to make normal calls in flight. But there are already plenty of ways to make calls legally over airline Wi-Fi networks, while keeping your phone in "airplane mode." The airlines just choose to block such calls. Just as many schools and workplaces block access to pornography websites, airlines use similar filters to block access to Skype and other Internet calling services.

3 Why change the rule now? The FCC banned calls in flight more than two decades ago because of concerns that they could interfere with multiple cell towers on the ground as planes fly overhead at hundreds of miles per hour. Since then, there has been new technology that can be installed directly on planes. Cellphones in flight would connect to those airborne systems rather than the towers on the ground, eliminating the interference issue. The FCC notes that such systems have been deployed elsewhere around the world — including in the Middle East and parts of Europe and Asia — without problems. If phone calls eventually are allowed on U.S. planes — whether through Wi-Fi or traditional means — a company still has to install that equipment on aircraft. That company, in partnership with the airline, would likely charge a fee. Cell carriers probably wouldn't profit off such calls.

4 What's the reaction so far? The country's largest flight attendants' union has come out against allowing calls in flight. Delta Air Lines is the only major airline to explicitly state that voice calls won't be allowed on its flights, even if the FCC allows it. Delta said that years of feedback from customers shows "the overwhelming sentiment" is to continue prohibiting calls. Other airlines aren't as firm. United Airlines says that if the FCC changes its rules, "we will study it along with feedback from customers and crews." American Airlines has offered a similar approach. So has JetBlue, which says it would "welcome the opportunity to explore" voice calls but "would prioritize making the cabin comfortable and welcoming for all."

Travelers also have protested to the FCC and on social media. On a White House website, a petition opposing the FCC's move attracted more than 2,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon. "Common courtesy goes out the window when people step in that metal tube," said James Patrick II, a frequent flier from Newnan, Ga. "You think the debates and fistfights over reclining the seat back was bad. Wait until guys start slugging it out over someone talking too loud on the phone."

5 What's next: The proposal will come under consideration at an agency meeting next month, but it's unclear whether the five-member panel will vote to proceed with the proposal. Ultimately, the FCC is going to make its decision based on safety, not public opinion, said Harold Feld, a senior vice president at advocacy group Public Knowledge. "The decision on this is going to be made on the basis of real engineering facts and not about whether people enjoy being away from cellphones or not," Feld said. Any change would likely require at least a year to take effect.

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