Though 5G brought a big change in the history of wireless industry, it also brought some concerns for aviation authorities. They say it is our No.1 concern in near future that 5G wireless service could affect landing airplane. As there are possibilities of 5G wireless service might interfere with some airplane navigation system. Therefore, Verizon and AT&T agreed to hold up their 5G service by one or two weeks.
5G is a stronger and faster connectivity wireless industry. It made streaming or gaming better than ever with its high download speed. But for airlines, this will be a huge and most destructive possible issue in the future of airplane landing and track a flight system.
Why the airlines have this concern
The C band of radio spectrum acquired by AT&T and Verizon for 5G sites is very close to the spectrum band employed by radio altimeters on air plans. This C band might interfere with the navigation apparatus used during landings and takeoffs and tracking a flight.
Thoughts of experts
Air Line pilots Association head Joe Depete had talks with Yahoo Finance this week why that’s a problem.
JOE DEPETE: “Now, radio altimeters on our airplane determine not only the height above the ground – right? – In real terms – not just pressure altitude, but in real terms – above the terrain as we come in for a landing or we’re tracking a flight off. But they’re tied to many other systems in our airplane.”
Where Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly added this, “I think if you were to ask us what our No. 1 concern is here in the near term; it is the deployment of 5G because the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has issued an airworthiness directive that would significantly impact our operations once it is deployed.”
SCHAPER Electrical engineer also added at an interview with “YAHOO FINANCE”
“The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) warns that if Verizon and AT&T roll out their 5G networks as originally planned, it would prohibit instrument landings, using altimeters at certain airports in poor weather conditions. That would force the airlines to delay, divert, reroute or cancel potentially huge numbers of flights. But not everyone agrees the situation is that dire.”
“It’s kind of like the time when CB radios would interfere with TV sets. The solution, he says, is simple – to have 5G cell phone towers near airports reduce the power and direction of their signals and not use the frequencies closest to those used by airplane altimeters while airlines and airplane manufacturers work to upgrade their old equipment. He and the wireless carriers point out that the 5G service has been successfully implemented near airports in other countries, though the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) says those countries already mandate that cell towers near airports operate at reduced power as well as other mitigation steps.” He added.
Wireless Expert
One more expert Professor Ted Rappaport, founding director of the research center NYU WIRELESS said in this regard.
“It’s really not a sky-is-falling problem like you might read in the airline news headlines. The issue is that some of the older planes and older airplane equipment that were built maybe 30 or 40 years ago do not have very good band-pass filters. They don’t have very good filters on their receivers.”
Whatever the reality is, but both sides Airline and 5G wireless industries have to reach a consensus by Jan 19. So, the concern that 5G wireless service could affect landing planes in the near future should be uplift. If it is not like that then airline industry might intend to cease the 5G rollout in court.