[ OUR OPINION ]

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Internet could make
isle skies friendlier

THE ISSUE The FCC has voted to give airline passengers high-speed Internet connections.

A DECISION by federal regulators to allow wireless Internet connections aboard airlines would be a boon for travelers on long flights like those to and from Hawaii. A second proposal to lift a ban on in-flight cell phone use could end up creating an inescapable annoyance.

The Federal Communications Commission's vote means that as soon as 2006, passengers could be checking e-mail and surfing the Web from their seats.

The plan could make the skies friendlier for business travelers reluctant to come to the islands because of lengthy flight times. With high-speed Internet service, they could still work and communicate with the office.

Cell phone use, however, is more problematic, which the FCC duly recognized in its call for comments about ending the ban.

Of primary interest is safety. The Federal Aviation Administration's concern is to ensure cell phone calls don't interfere with aircraft navigation and electrical systems. There is evidence that a cell call might have caused the crash of a commuter plane in Switzerland in 2000. Preliminary tests have shown that the problem is solvable, but the FAA will await an assessment that won't likely be complete until 2007.

The other concern is societal. Airplanes are one of the few places where people aren't forced to eavesdrop on cell phone conversations. The chattering of hundreds of passengers in the close confines of an aircraft would strain sensibilities and create conditions for conflict.

Already, some rail and bus companies as well as municipal transit authorities have had to limit calls or designate "cell free" zones to avoid passenger disputes, mitigation airlines also would have to consider.

In likelihood, wireless communications will not come cheap. Cash-strapped U.S. airlines would be inclined, as some of their European counterparts do, to exact a fee for the service. But busy business travelers probably will swallow the cost. After all, flight time is money, too.

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Philippines needs
help after storms

THE ISSUE More than 1,600 people have been killed, injured or are missing in the Philippines.

FOUR tropical storms and typhoons that ravaged the northeastern Philippines over a two-week period have left the island nation in shambles, and major relief efforts are needed to limit the devastation. International aid agencies have launched an emergency appeal, and a top Philippine official is asking Filipino Americans in Hawaii to donate money and goods. Hawaii belongs in the forefront of the assistance.

"Your ethnic brothers need a little help," Philippine Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz told a group of Filipino Americans. "We still need donations as far as cash or relief goods because it's going to be a long, drawn-out affair." Donors should not be limited to the 170,000 Filipino Americans who comprise 14 percent of Hawaii's population.

At the same time, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies doubled its fund-raising goal to $3.64 million and the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) launched a $6.4 million flash appeal. By midweek, the Philippines had received $14 million in emergency assistance.

The toll thus far is staggering: 1,060 people dead, 1,023 injured, 559 missing along the northeastern coast of Luzon, the country's main island, and 880,000 displaced. According to WHO, the storms have made 3.6 million people in the Philippines vulnerable to communicable diseases, including malaria, diarrhea and upper respiratory infections requiring urgent attention.

Food, potable water, pediatric medicines, sanitation and shelter material are priority needs, but deliveries are hampered by damage to bridges and roads. The U.S. military has helped deliver more than 100 tons of relief supplies, according to Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and has pledged a dozen helicopters, hundreds of troops and two Navy ships to join in the effort.

The relief effort in Hawaii has received more than $17,000. Checks should be payable to the Filipino Community Center and sent to the center at 94-428 Mokuola St., Suite 302, Waipahu, HI 96797.