On Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission proposed to relax its current ban on the use of cellular telephones on airborne aircraft. The Commission addressed policy and technical options for permitting controlled use of cellular handsets and other wireless devices in airborne aircraft as a means to increase communication options available to the traveling public as well as public safety personnel.

The Commission's rules currently require that cellular handsets be turned off once an aircraft leaves the ground to avoid interfering with terrestrial cellular systems. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations also currently restrict the use of mobile telephones and other portable electronic devices on aircraft to ensure against interference to onboard communications and navigation equipment.

Specifically, the Commission proposed to permit the airborne operation of "off the shelf" wireless handsets and other devices so long as the device operates at its lowest power setting and the operation does not allow unwanted radio frequency emissions to interfere with terrestrial cellular systems.

The Commission explained that its ultimate objective is to allow consumers to use their own wireless devices during flight.