Questions about cell phones aboard the Malaysian plane

[question everything]

I suppose someone could have collected all the cell phones while using a gun.

But if at least one passenger have managed to try to call or to text, would his service provider have record of it?

[TexasProgresive]

1. This has been beaten to death already

Fact 1- cell phones don't work well in aircraft.
Fact 2 - no cell service where there are no cell sites- re. over ocean and sparsely populated areas.

Chances are no one with a cell had service so no call could be made. It is possible that a passenger or two had a satellite phone like from Iridium, otherwise there is likely no data available.

[question everything]

2. Thanks. I missed al the "beaten to death" discussions

Considering the FCC wants to allow cell phones calls on domestic flights - they are, apparently used internationally - I was not aware that they don't work well in aircraft. If this is the case - why do we even have a debate?

Still, no doubt some passengers did at least try. Would the service providers be able to know that such trials were made?

Just as we heard all the relatives calling passengers and hearing the rings and, of course, those rings would be with the providers.

I am not an expert in cell phones. All I've ever head was a pre-paid basic phone. No camera, no Internet connection which is fine with me.

[randome]

4. But the plane wasn't over ocean the entire time, was it?

I suppose if someone tried to send a text message but it didn't get sent because there was no service, the phone would try to re-send that message once there was service.

Remote possibility, of course.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[Sheepshank]

8. Assuming there were problems with the flight while phone coverage existed they could have called.

It would not be too difficult to assume that the plane problems may have occured while outside of phone coverage areas....or in the case of a hijacking, that the phone were taken away and batteries removed while in an area with poor cell phone coverage.

[quinnox]

3. there is actually a huge controversy over cell phone usage in airplanes

It goes back to 9/11, and how amazing it was that so many supposed cell phone calls seemed to get through that day, from passengers on board the hijacked planes. The chances were like near impossible, especially with the technology back then, and yet, the official story is apparently a miracle of sorts took place that day.

[HipChick]

5. I am one of those people that often forget to turn off my cellphone..

It's usually buried deep in a bag before I can get to it...I used to fly weekly...only ever once did I get service, and that's when we were descending into Canada...I got a text message pop up...I agree back in 9/11 it was close to impossible...and not much better now

[woolldog]

6. "The chances were like near impossible, especially with the technology back then"

Uh huh, sure. And all the families who received phone calls from loved ones were in on the conspiracy, I suppose.

[kelliekat44]

7. Yes, and that is a huge part of the conspiracy theory.

nt

[TexasProgresive]

9. There are differing opinions as to whether those calls

were made by cell phones or airfones. One call was alleged to being made in a restroom where the airfones did not exist. Cell service in commercial airliners at normal cruising altitudes is nearly not usable.

Earlier in the month was a heated discussion on the feasibility of airborne cell service.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024616586
A link I posted in that discussion is very good on explaining the difficulty of consistant cell service while airborne. It appears for it to work well there has to be an on board repeater that has enough sensitivity and power to maintain a link to cell sites. Then each person's cell on the plane would actually be connecting to that unit.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024616586

[Jenoch]

10. Back in 2001 wasn't cellular telephone service

analog and not digital? I seem to remember that analog had a longer range. I also seem to remember calls were made from those airplanes using the Airfones. I might be remebering one of the films made re-enacting the events of that day.

[TexasProgresive]

13. I think you have it right.

Aboe 8 thousand feet cell service is poor to non-existant. I'm not sure when the change was made from analog to digital but the analog phones were a bit more powerful. I think our phone in 2001 was digital but can't be sure.

[question everything]

12. I thought that many of the calls from the airborne plans were from on the phones on the aircraft

The ones installed in the back of the central seat that you had to pay to use.

[littlewolf]

11. something I have been wondering about

why are calls going to pax cell phones ringing then going to voice mail. if the plane crashed into the ocean, the calls would go straight to voice mail w/o ringing.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/11/malaysia-airlines-370-passengers-cell-phones/6285325/

[FreeState]

14. More than likely because the plane

is still around and didn't crash (speculation). Also, it's been reported that the reason the plane went up to 45,000 feet, down to 25,000, back to 45,000 and then back to 35,000 (normal altitude) was to kill the passengers in the depressurized cabin. They would not be making calls after that. Usually my cell phone goes right to voicemail after its been turned off or the battery dies.

[HipChick]

17. Not always..if the call is crossing carriers

it will ring while trying to find your cell...I know I have called my own phone when overseas, and I can hear it ringing, but it does not actually ring on my cell...so I don't think it means what people are thinking....When overseas, I will hear it ring in US ringtone, and then after a bit switch to the local ring...

[littlewolf]

18. but it goes to voice mail. when you call your cell from overseas

and it rings, while crossing carriers, will it also go to voice mail?

this is why I do not think it crashed into the water.
this is just my uninformed opinion.

[closeupready]

15. Personally, I think authorities likely know MUCH more than they are telling us.

It makes a certain sense, in terms of flight security, but I think many of these matters have answers which will come out only later.

[FreeState]

16. Agree 100% n/t

[littlewolf]

19. agree also. nt