FCC kills plan to examine use of phones on planes

A passenger jet prepares to land at Gaurulhos Internatonal airport in Sao Paulo, March 27, 2007. The Federal Communications Commission said on Tuesday that it has terminated a proceeding that considered the use of cellular phones on airplanes.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission said on Tuesday that it has terminated a proceeding that considered the use of cellular phones on airplanes.

The FCC had been examining an existing rule that requires cell phones to be turned off once an aircraft leaves the ground in order to avoid interfering with cellular networks on the ground.

However, after gathering comments from industry and the public, the FCC said there was insufficient technical information on whether cell phones would cause harmful interference.

It would be premature to seek further comment at this point as airlines, manufacturers and wireless providers are still researching the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices on planes, the FCC said in an order issued on Tuesday.

The agency said it may reconsider the issue at a later time if "appropriate technical data is available."

Federal Aviation Administration rules also restrict the use of cell phones to prevent interference with the aircraft's navigation and communication systems.