To explain further, I have found mixed answers as to whether or not phones in airplane mode or that are shut off will receive the upcoming EAS. If they will receive it, will that impact the flight at all?
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Airplane mode is being phased out but it is still up to the airliners to decide. I would guess that most passengers do not have to put their phones in airplane mode now. Phones in airplane mode should not be able to receive EAS messages. And they will not receive any messages they have missed once they do turn off airplane mode. But if the airplane mode is off and the phone manages to connect to a tower on the ground then they will receive the EAS broadcast as normal. The airplane systems are designed to handle this. But it can be a bit annoying for the other passengers on the airplane.
I’m curious: how many passengers actually put their phones in airplane mode while flying?
The message is sent only thru the cell towers. Anybody on Wi-Fi only will also not receive the message. I turn my phone on airplane mode whenever I’m at home or at work as there is Wi-Fi so my battery lasts a bit longer.
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If the message was sent thru Wi-Fi:
Many commercial flights now have Wi-Fi, and usually free for at least text messaging. So if you are in airplane mode (which just deactivates the cellular antenna) but connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi then you will still receive iMessage/WhatsApp/etc. texts. No option for Google, but the government could team-up with Apple so that any national alerts goes thru iMessage as well.
Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in flight is actually an FCC rule citing the potential for ground network interference. Studies have shown there are really no concerns regarding the flights themselves. EAS shouldn’t change anything in that regard.
Why would it? Could you give more explanation as to what aspects of the test you think might affect a flight?
More than likely the biggest disruption would be the sound across the cabin of airplanes on and near the ground for those who didn’t follow cabin crew instructions. Pilots are trained to still fly the airplane when actual aircraft alarms are blaring.
Phones are illegal because you wouldnt be able to stand people talking BS next to you for 13 hours straight. It has NOTHING to do with security or interference or something.
Even though EAS is broadcast it still requires your phone to establish a two way connection to a cellular network. No connection in airplane mode — no EAS broadcast is going to be received. The reason it requires a two way connection is simply because cellular networks and phones never supported a one way connection and the designers didn’t want to add that kind of mode just for this feature.
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