Airline trade group seeks delay in 5G communications launch

[George II]

Source: Associated Press

2 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. airlines are asking the Federal Communications Commission to delay next week’s scheduled rollout of new 5G wireless service near dozens of major airports, saying it could interfere with electronics that pilots rely on.

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. passenger and cargo carriers, said in an emergency filing that the FCC has failed to adequately consider the harm that 5G service could do to the industry.

The group wants more time for the FCC and the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates airlines, to resolve issues around aviation safety related to a type of 5G service called C-Band.

“Aircraft will not be able to rely on radio altimeters for numerous flight procedures and thus will not be able to land at certain airports,” the group said in a filing Thursday. Radio altimeters measure the height of planes above the ground.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-global-trade-airlines-federal-aviation-administration-federal-communications-commission-5a0fb385bc4438a4cad85ece8b529b78

[Delphinus]

1. How long

has the 5G rollout been in the works?

[IronLionZion]

3. It's been out for years in many cities

I've been using 5G as my internet service since mid 2019.

[VarryOn]

2. They still don't allow the older cell technologies. 5G is years away from being allowed.

I wish I had a nickel for everytime I had landed, went to take my phone off airplane mode and found I had forgotten to put it in airplane mode before takeoff. So far, my takeoffs and landings are equal.

[airplaneman]

4. Talk to us when they don't n/t.

[TeamProg]

5. You mean when "takeoffs and landings" are NOT equal??

Funny!

[VarryOn]

7. I didn't come up with that saying...

Saw it on a little sign at an FBO once. It said something like "may all your takeoffs and landings be equal."

[reACTIONary]

6. Equality of takeoffs and landings....

... is a fundamental human right.

[Ford_Prefect]

8. If this is a known technical problem why hasn't the cell phone industry done more to answer it?

They are the ones pushing 5G as the absolute next big tech we absolutely gotta have. You would think they knew about this issue prior to the reaction by the Airline industry.

[Sapient Donkey]

10. The claims of it being an actual issue are disputed

I haven't done a whole lot of research into it, but the the main counter claim is that they haven't demonstrated it causes any harm in real world situations, and that there is plenty of examples of the same bands being used for other applications without any harm caused to aviation.

Here's a pro-5G website that addresses some of the concerned raised. https://www.5gandaviation.com/ Of course, take it for what it is and the agenda that it has. But it's a good start for seeking out the counter arguments to the anti-5G claims, and then seeking out counter arguments to those counter arguments.

I don't want to dismiss this as I do with the anti-5G kooks who say it's going to melt our brains, but I also don't want to accept it as a undisputed fact without more information.

[BadGimp]

9. I noticed the installed a 5G tower across the street from my apartment.

I guessed 5G

I checked my phone and sure enough, the 5G icon appeared in the Top Bar.

So I tested the bandwidth and WOW, 10x improvement.

Comcast had better hope that 5G does not expand because then AT&T can really compete with their home business.

But in the end, we will all get screwed as the Telcos, etc use the increased bandwidth to increase fees and still keep the bandwidth at a minimum.

The money AT&T charges for bandwidth is F(^#g criminal imo.

[OneBlueDotS-Carolina]

11. Concerns go back a few years...

Letter to the FCC regarding 5G, from the DOT.

https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2021-10/DOT_Letter_to_NTIA_FCC3.7_GHz_Band_Auction.pdf

Canada has restricted 5G use around some airports.

Potential Risk of Interference of 5G Signals on Radio Altimeter - Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) No. 2021-08

https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/civil-aviation-safety-alerts/potential-risk-interference-5g-signals-radio-altimeter-civil-aviation-safety-alert-casa-no-2021-08

Canada Puts The Brakes On 5G Cellular Networks Around Airports

Canadian authorities have led the way in protecting aviation navigation and communications networks from possible interference due to 5G wireless phone networks. Much to the consternation of cellphone aficionados, and especially 5G network providers in the country, the Canadian government has proposed restrictions on the high-speed cell service in the vicinity of large airports. The restrictions would consist of exclusion zones around runways, where 5G base stations would not be permitted. There would be additional lesser-protected areas where 5G services would be restricted.

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/canada-puts-the-brakes-on-5g-cellular-networks-around-airports/


Canada Limits 5G To Protect Air Travel

The Canadian restrictions include “exclusion zones” around 26 airports where outdoor 5G base stations would not be permitted to operate—but indoor 5G operations would be allowed. ISED has also established “protection zones” where 5G operations would be allowed, with restricted power. Furthermore, ISED requires, until it decides otherwise, that the 5G antennas tilt down, rather than horizontally or upward, so as not to interfere with the radio altimeters. These restrictions would be in effect until both domestic and international studies have come to a definite conclusion about the scope of the problem.

ISED’s concerns about the potential interference with altimeters by 5G operations in the 3.45 - 3.65 GHz band in Canada emerge the same week that the FCC completed the auction of licenses in the 3.45 – 3.55 GHz band in the United States for more than $20 billion. The FCC order authorizing the auction has no mention of altimeters, much less potential interference.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianafurchtgott-roth/2021/11/21/canada-limits-5g-to-protect-air-travel/