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GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT.
LET ME GET TO THIS.
WHEN YOU WERE ON BOARD A PLANE,
EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WITH THESE 239
SOULS ON BOARD, NOT A SINGLE
PERSON IT SEEMS HOPPED ONLINE
AND USED A CELL PHONE.
WAS THERE NO WI-FI CAPABILITY?
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE NOT
CERTAIN OF IS WHETHER OR NOT
THERE WAS.
IN THE BUSINESS CLASS, THEY HAD
A RUDIMENTARY MESSAGING SYSTEM
WHERE YOU CAN USE E-MAILS AND
TEXT MESSAGES, I DON'T THINK YOU
CAN BROWSE THE WEB.
239 PASSENGERS AND 123 WERE
CHINESE AND PROBABLY USING WEBO,
A POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKING
THERE.
IT'S SORT OF A WALL BETWEEN US
AND THE INFORMATION.
WE CAN'T REALLY SEARCH TO KNOW.
HERE'S THE TECHNICAL REALITY.
IF YOU WERE FLYING AT 35,000
FEET AND GOING ABOUT 600 MILES
AN HOUR, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO ATTACH TO A CELL PHONE
TOWER.
THE CELL PHONE TOWERS HAVE A
LIMITED RANGE.
MIGHT GO MAYBE THREE MILES.
THAT'S HALF THE DISTANCE IN
HEIGHT THAT YOU MIGHT NEED AND
MOST ARE POINTING AT THE GROUND.
THE OTHER THING IS WHERE THEY
WERE FLYING AND NOT DENSELY
POPULATED AREAS.
THERE IS NOT A LOT OF TOWERS AND
EVEN TO PING.
YOU ARE SUPPOSEDED TO TURN YOUR
AIRPLANE TO AIRPLANE MODE.
>> LET'S ASSUME THAT EVERYONE
DID.
>> HERE'S THE THING.
I HAVE TO AGREE THAT I AM
SHOCKED THAT NOT A SINGLE PIECE
OF COMMUNICATION THAT AT THE
MOMENT IT PLANE TURNED ANYBODY
DIDN'T FLIP ON THEIR PHONES AND
TRY.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
GET A SIGNAL.
NOTHING GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE
FROM THE TECHNOLOGY.
>> FOR BOGGLES MY MIND WHEN WE
ARE IN AN AGE OF SUCH
CONNECTIVITY, I HOP ON FACEBOOK
AND I KNOW WHAT MY FRIENDS ARE
EATING FOR BREAKFAST.
I DON'T CARE, BUT STILL IT'S
LIKE EVERYONE IS SPEWING THIS
INFORMATION AND HOW WE DON'T
HAVE A BLIP OF THAT FROM THIS
PLANE, I DON'T GET IT.
GO AHEAD.
>> YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WE LIVE IN A 24-HOUR CONNECTIVE
WORLD.
THAT'S THE EXPECTATION.
YOU KNOW IT'S DICY.
DO THEY HAVE WI-FI?
IF THEY DON'T, YOU ARE
DISCONNECTED FROM THE WORLD FOR
UP TO FIVE OR SIX HOURS.
OVER THE FLIGHTS THAT GO OVER