Cingular wants continued in-flight phone ban

Cingular Wireless, the US' largest wireless carrier, wants the government to retain its ban on in-flight phone calls. "We believe there is a time and a place for wireless phone conversations, and seldom does that include the confines of an airplane flight," Cingular wrote in a June 8 letter to the FAA. "Cingular will encourage passengers to 'tap, not talk' -- that is, to use discreet services such as text messaging and email as opposed to voice communications in flight," the carrier wrote. Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 cell phone carrier, recently teamed with Cingular to submit comments to the FCC, which is also examining the issue.

For more on cell phone use on airliners:
- read this CNN article