Verizon and AT&T have already limited their 5G signals near airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urges smaller telecommunication companies to follow suit since the signal may pose a threat to plane flights, as mentioned in CNET.
The two telecommunication giants' careful deployment of 5G in the C-band frequency range has been overseen by The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), so they could limit the coverage around the airport. This was already done before while airlines upgraded their equipment and checked their fleets, but the ban was extended until July 2023 voluntarily.
Further Bans from Other Telecommunication Companies
The FAA has been adamant about the ban with other telecommunication companies. FAA Administrator, Billy Nolen, has written to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) expressing his concern for the safety of aircraft. He stated that if the US government does not codify certain operating limits in the 5G C-band environment, the FAA will take steps on its own to ensure safe travels for the public.
So far, there is still no news about whether the smaller telecommunication companies will also be banned, the way Verizon and AT&T are from C-Band 5G until July 2023. As for the actions that the FAA will take if the NTIA did not respond to their request, it is still unclear at this time since there are no official statements regarding it.
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Why is it Important to Limit 5G Signal Frequencies?
The Federal Aviation Administration expressed that 5G interference could potentially affect altitude readings on some jets and airplanes. This started when the United States auctioned the mid-range 5G bandwidth to mobile phone companies in early 2021, according to Reuters.
Since it operates in the 3.7-3.89GHz range, it is in the spectrum known as the C-band. This could get in the way of aircraft instruments like the altimeter, which measures how far the plane is above ground while traveling in the air and may affect low-visibility landing.
Although altimeters operate at a higher range, which is 4.2-4.4 GHz, the FAA still thinks that's too close to the range that telecommunication companies use. In the meantime, AT&T, Verizon, and other potential telecommunication companies will have to defer to wireless towers near airports, so they wouldn't disrupt the scheduled flights.
So far, Verizon and AT&T claim that C-band has been deployed in 40 other countries, but there have been no interference issues with aviation. Regardless, they still agreed to buffer zones around 50 airports in the US.
For a different perspective, New Scientist explained that the C-band radio spectrum in which the wireless industry and airlines exist is a public resource. Industries secure their portion in the spectrum. Since the 5G's highest frequency range is 3.89GHz and the altimeters' lowest is 4.2GHz, there's a chance that it may overlap, causing interference. Once that happens while pilots are flying in low visibility, they will be, in a manner of speaking, partially blind.
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