14 DAY TRIAL // Some might say that it's not that big a deal to keep your phone or tablet closed during airplane takeoff and landing, but there was still enough outcry over this that the FAA had to intervene.
FAA, short for the Federal Aviation Administration, has decided (as reported by WSJ) to rule in favor of everyone who ever said that their Wi-Fi devices should be allowed to run at all times.
Previously, the rules imposed downtime on all gadgets with Wi-Fi because it was assumed that too many connections would cause interference with the systems running the airplane.
Obviously, no one wants to suffer death by airplane failure, so passengers usually do as instructed, albeit grudgingly.
In the next year or so, however, the restrictions from using mobile devices and in-flight Wi-Fi on aircraft during takeoff and landing will disappear.
Making phone calls is still forbidden though, and it might stay that way. The FAA and Federal Communications Commission are looking into the matter again, but cellular voice and data might not end up being allowed during critical flight times.
The reason why it will take another year for the decision to be enforced is the fact that the full report of the FAA panel hasn't been released.
And even after it does get released, FAA will have to see what recommendations are made and act on them.
After all, not all planes and aircraft companies have the same technological setup, so Wi-Fi might be restricted in some flights even after the new regulations go into effect.
Keep in mind that this isn't just an occasion when some over-cautious prudes see reason. It really wasn't previously safe to allow this at distances of under 10,000 feet, when pilots needed the best reception and focus. It's just that aircraft have just become a lot more resilient to interference now.