US Carriers AT&T, Verizon Delay 5G Rollout Near Some Airports Over ‘Frustration’ With FAA

© REUTERS / BRYAN WOOLSTONA Southwest Airlines flight, equipped with radar altimeters that may conflict with telecom 5G technology, flies 500 feet above the ground while on final approach to land at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, New York, U.S., January 6, 2022.
A Southwest Airlines flight, equipped with radar altimeters that may conflict with telecom 5G technology, flies 500 feet above the ground while on final approach to land at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, New York, U.S., January 6, 2022. - Sputnik International, 1920, 18.01.2022
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CEOs of major US airlines warned Monday of a looming “catastrophic“ aviation crisis when new 5G services are deployed Wednesday due to interference to sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters that could disrupt flights, affecting both passengers and the industry.
US mobile carriers AT&T and Verizon said they have delayed introduction of their 5G network near some airports due to airlines’ concerns about flight safety from the deployment of the technology, and expressed frustration with aviation authorities over the matter.
“At our sole discretion we have voluntarily agreed to temporarily defer turning on a limited number of towers around certain airport runways as we continue to work with the aviation industry and the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] to provide further information about our 5G deployment, since they have not utilized the two years they’ve had to responsibly plan for this deployment,“ AT&T said in a statement.
AT&T also criticized the FAA’s processes that had contributed to the decision and called for quick remedial action.

“We are frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it to do so in a timely manner,“ the carrier said. It added that it is launching “advanced 5G services everywhere else as planned with the temporary exception of this limited number of towers.“

Verizon issued a similar statement that it had “voluntarily“ limited 5G deployment near airports.
“As the nation’s leading wireless provider, we have voluntarily decided to limit our 5G network around airports,“the carrier said. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our nation’s airlines have not been able to fully resolve navigating 5G around airports, despite it being safe and fully operational in more than 40 other countries.“
The 5G C-Band service used by US carriers is close to frequencies used by key instruments of modern aircraft and the FAA had expressed concerns that it could interfere with aviation systems such as radio altimeters.

Air India, Emirates, ANA and Japan Airlines were among the international carriers that canceled some flights to the United States on concerns over 5G technology. The chief executives of major US passenger and cargo carriers had also warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis from the 5G deployment in messages on social media.

Following the decision, President Biden thanked telecom companies for delaying the deployment of 5G technology, adding though that expanding 5G access and promoting competition in internet service are critical administration priorities.
The White House will continue to engage with wireless carriers, airlines and aviation equipment manufacturers to chart a path forward for 5G deployment and reach a workable solution to its deployment around airports, Biden also said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November issued a special airworthiness information bulletin with recommended steps for pilots and manufacturers to take prior to the deployment of 5G networks. The FAA told operators to ensure their pilots are aware of the potential degradation of radio altimeter capabilities and any means to compensate for in-flight radio altimeter anomalies, including erroneous altimeter readings and loss of altimeter function.
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