IP: Bluetooth risks airline safety?: [risks] Risks Digest 21.38

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 12:43:52 +1000
>From: Tom Worthington <tom.worthington@tomw.net.au>
>Subject: Bluetooth risks airline safety?
>
>An advertisement by Toshiba in the Australian Financial Review Monday 7 May
>2001 (page 10: "Portege 3490 with Bluetooth - always ready to network")
>suggests that Toshiba laptops can be routinely carried on aircraft switched
>on, with Bluetooth devices transmitting:
>
> > "Imagine two strangers, each carrying Bluetooth-enabled Portege 3490s ...
> > In a fraction of a second the Bluetooth module within each detects the
> > presence of the other. ... And complete strangers can start playing chess
> > together on long flights"
>
>Apart from being misleading as laptop computers are not designed to be left
>on while being carried, this appears at odds with routine airline practice
>requiring electronic devices to be switched off during take-off. The use of
>radio transmitters by passengers is usually prohibited at any time on an
>airline. This is discussed in the Draft Advisory Circular AC 91.22 (0),
>FEBRUARY 2000, "PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES" from the Australian Civil
>Aviation Safety Authority:
>   http://www.casa.gov.au/prod/avreg/newrules/download/ac/091%5F22.pdf
>
>In practice, Bluetooth's very low-power spread-spectrum transmitter would be
>unlikely to cause interference to an aircraft's systems. However, it would
>be unwise to encourage Bluetooth's use on airlines until this is accepted by
>airline safety authorities.
>
>PS: It is possible to use a transmitter in some aircraft. Particularly when
>it is a hot air balloon over Parliment and you have a Senator assisting
>you: http://www.tomw.net.au/nt/balloon.html
>
>PPS: More on wireless: http://www.tomw.net.au/2001/wwgw.html
>
>Tom Worthington FACS; Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd ABN: 17 088 
>714 309
>http://www.tomw.net.au; Vis.Prof AustralianNatlUniversity; Austrl. 
>Computer Soc



For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/