Explainer: 5G and air travel

[marmar]

The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near major airports.

CEOs of the nation’s largest airlines say that interference from the wireless service on a key instrument on planes is worse than they originally thought.

AT&T and Verizon plan to activate their new 5G wireless service Wednesday after two previous delays from the original plan for an early December rollout.

The new high-speed 5G service uses a segment of the radio spectrum that is close to that used by altimeters, which are devices that measure the height of aircraft above the ground.

....(snip)....

Whose side is the government on?

Both.

The Federal Communications Commission, which runs the auctions of radio spectrum, determined that C-Band could be used safely in the vicinity of air traffic. The FCC in 2020 set a buffer between the 5G band and the spectrum that planes use to resolve any safety concerns. ..........(more)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/tech/2022/01/18/explainer-5-g-and-air-travel/6562015001/

[Klaralven]

1. The same aircraft are used in other countries that are ahead of us in 5G deployment

The wireless industry trade group CTIA notes that about 40 countries have deployed the C-Band strand of 5G without reports of harmful interference with aviation equipment.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. It's also a question of power, and it seems a compromise might be reached

But AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg did offer to reduce the power of their 5G networks near airports, as France has done.
...
AT&T and Verizon will be allowed to launch C-Band service this month under already-granted FCC licenses. The airlines have until Friday to give the companies a list of up to 50 airports where they believe the power of C-Band service should be reduced through July 5.

(That 2 weeks is what finishes tomorrow - see

Verizon, AT&T agree to FAA's request for a two-week delay on 5G expansion plans

The wireless industry has repeatedly pushed back on claims that there is harmful interference from 5G in this band of spectrum. In a filing with the FCC on Dec. 31, CTIA once again argued that the aviation industry's claims of harmful interference were overblown and without merit. It told the FCC that 5G is authorized today in numerous countries at power levels higher than what is permitted in the US, including Denmark, Finland and Ireland.

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/verizon-at-t-agree-to-faas-request-for-a-two-week-delay-on-5g-expansion-plans/

But also:

In the EU, for example, networks operate at lower frequencies than those which US providers are planning to use - reducing the risk of interference. 5G masts can also operate at lower power.

Nevertheless, some countries have taken further steps to reduce possible risks.

In France, there are so-called "buffer zones" around airports where 5G signals are restricted, while antennas have to be tilted downwards to prevent potential interference.

The FAA has established temporary buffer zones around 50 airports, where 5G providers will limit their activities. But these are much smaller than the zones already being used in France, and US transmitters will operate at significantly higher power levels.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60042178

[NightWatcher]

2. How much is the part that airlines don't want to upgrade to?

You know this is about profit savings measures and nothing else. Spend whatever it takes to make the planes safe.

[Turbineguy]

4. There are plenty of people

who use their cell phones on planes regardless of what they are told by crewmembers.

They can't expect passengers to follow the rules that keep planes from crashing. That would be a violation of their freedom!

[PTWB]

5. 5G is important.

The airlines will need to figure out a way to outfit their planes with equipment that operates in a different band if they’re really that concerned.

It sounds like their concerns are unfounded, however.

Ireland, Denmark and Finland all have stronger 5G signals than authorized in the US. They have not reported any impact on radio altimeters.