The US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has warned that the deployment of C-Band 5G telecom services around key airports in the United States could potentially ground a large number of aircraft.
US passenger airlines and cargo services said they were concerned the proposed planned launch of AT&T and Verizon's new 5G services could disrupt flights and cause a "catastrophic" aviation crisis.
But why are airlines so scared of the C-band 5G spectrum?
Also Read: AT&T, Verizon pause 5G rollout near US airports to avoid flight disruptions
What is the problem?
The issue is that the new C-Band 5G uses part of the radio spectrum that operates on the same frequencies as Altimeters, which are instruments used to measure the distance of an aircraft from the ground.
Now you may ask yourself, wasn't this cleared or bought up during testing? Well, it was. In 2020, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered a buffer to be set between the frequencies used by the new towers and the ones used by airlines.
As Wednesday’s deadline for the launch of the 5G services neared, airlines said the problem was worse than they had originally thought and will result in the cancellation and grounding of many flights. The FAA has since stepped in and asked AT&T and Verizon to hold off on the launch near "priority airports" as the regulator studies the problem.
What was AT&T and Verizon's response?
The two telecom services on Tuesday agreed to temporarily delay turning on some towers near key airports to avert flight disruptions.
The FAA updated its list of airports that planes with approved radio altimeters could use to include New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, San Francisco and Seattle.
US President Joe Biden said the agreement would "avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations and our economic recovery."
He also said 90% of the towers will be activated and deployed and his administration will work with both sides to reach a solution for priority airports.
Who's at fault here?
Verizon, in a statement, blamed the FAA and airline companies, saying the technology is used and working fine in more than 40 countries but the FAA has "not been able to fully resolve navigating 5G around airports."
The airlines and FAA say that they have been trying to raise the issue with mobile network carriers and the FCC but they had been ignored.
The FCC says that C-Band 5G services and aircraft altimeters are far enough apart in the spectrum, to not cause any potential issues. They also blamed the airlines and the FAA, saying they had known about 5G for years but did nothing to prepare for the rollout.
The FCC also points out that several airlines choose not to upgrade their altimeters, despite knowing about the rollout, and the FAA in particular, failed to survey and check equipment until the last few weeks.
Also Read: Major US airline CEOs warn 5G could ground some planes, wreak havoc
What happens now?
The C-Band 5G rollout was scheduled for December last year, but was delayed to January after the airlines expressed concerns.
Then at the start of the month, the FAA asked for another delay in the rollout, but this time AT&T and Verizon declined the request and the White House had to step in. This is now the third delay.
For now, the airlines and telecoms have reached an agreement that prohibits the use of mobile towers near airports at full strength, for six months. The FAA and airlines have said if this requirement is met, they will not oppose the rollout of C-Band 5G services any further.
(With inputs from Associated Press and Reuters)
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