The Orlando Sentinel's Chris Cobbs reports that the coming year will see cell phone use permitted on many airlines worldwide.

"A European carrier, Ryanair, is expected to introduce cell phone service on its planes next year," Cobbs writes. "And U.S. airlines will probably follow suit, industry analysts and others say, though the airlines themselves aren't saying much on the subject. Powering the change is new technology designed to keep cell phone signals from interfering with a plane's guidance system and ground networks... and airlines' desire to tap a new source of revenue."

"I absolutely expect it to happen next year," says Forrester Research analyst Henry Harteveldt.

Using pico cells that will transfer calls to the appropriate terrestrial cell tower and prevent cell phone signals from interfering with a plane's guidance system, airlines are expected to start allowing cell phone use in 2007, with the expectation that it will become commonplace by 2008.

A strong motivator for the airlines is the potential revenue, thanks to a surcharge of about $2.50 to $3 a minute or a flat fee of $10 per flight.

Still, Harteveldt notes that air rage is a real concern. "In tight quarters on a long flight, you don't want to be next to a chatterbox sharing Grandma's chocolate chip cookie recipe," he says.

And some experts remain unconvinced that the technology is safe. Carnegie Mellon researcher and former astronaut Jay Apt says interference could still be an issue. "On a dark and stormy night at low altitude, when you are trying to get the aircraft on the ground, cell phones could interfere with the navigational system," he says.