The battle between 5G and aviation in the United States continued yesterday, as the United States Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. airlines to address 5G concerns.
New 5G rollout
On Wednesday, the FAA urged chief executives of major U.S. airlines to act quickly in response to a new 5G wireless rollout. The FAA hopes that airlines will be able to avoid disruptions at major airports next month.
Reuters reviewed a letter written by acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, in which Nolen states that AT&T and Verizon want to enhance 5G C-band connectivity around some U.S. airports in July after previously delaying the rollout.
The concern with 5G technology is not new in the United States and has been a long ongoing battle. There are concerns that 5G connections could interfere with the radio altimeters of aircraft. Radio altimeters are used to measure aircraft distance above the ground and are crucial for landing in inclement weather.
Nolen has pressed airlines to update radar altimeters, stating “there are no guarantees that all large markets will retain the current (safeguards).” He added a warning, stating that as airlines enhance 5G signals, some “less capable aircraft” may be unable to operate at certain airports without a change in the altimeter.
In May, Simple Flying covered a story about the FAA wanting airlines to remove sensitive equipment from aircraft to avoid complications with 5G technology. An FAA spokesperson told Simple Flying,
“The FAA hosted a roundtable discussion with about 40 aviation and wireless industry representatives on Wednesday to consider the next steps in the continued safe coexistence of aviation and 5G C-band wireless service. The groups had a wide-ranging and positive discussion and will continue to collaborate as they work to address the remaining technical challenges.”
This discussion was held in anticipation of the new 5G rollouts happening at the beginning of July.
The FAA is in the early stages of working with AT&T and Verizon “to identify markets where either a new tower or an increase in signal power will cause the least disruption.” In the three most recent rounds of discussion, industry officials have created a plan to retrofit certain aircraft that use the most vulnerable radio altimeters by the end of this year. Another round of discussions are to be held this Friday.
According to Nolen, AT&T and Verizon are planning for a full rollout of their networks by the end of next year. The FAA expects another 19 companies to enter the market during this period and hopes that the new companies will cooperate with the progress that has been made thus far.
Verizon is working with the FAA, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), and the aviation industry and is confident that it will achieve “robust deployment of C-band without significant disruptions to the traveling public.”
Source: simpleflying.com