European regulators do away with airplane mode for 5G devices; US could follow suit

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Sunday, December 4, 2022
U.S. could do away with airplane mode for cellular devices on flights
European regulators cleared the way for devices that use 5G technology to remain on. The U.S. may soon follow suit.

Putting your phone on airplane mode during a flight may soon be a thing of past.

European regulators cleared the way for devices that use 5G technology to remain on and the U.S. may soon follow suit.

Aviation experts say the main issue is that there's still the potential for interference with the plane's navigation systems.

Airplane mode for cellular devices is currently used as a precaution. There is no evidence that electronic interference has caused problems or has been a factor in a crash.

The FCC says devices not in airplane mode in the air have the potential to overload networks on the ground.

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