AT&T and Verizon are currently deploying a 5G rollout at several airports in the United States.
While this would normally be nothing out of the ordinary, the rollout has prompted a handful of airlines to suspend operations to certain cities, with concerns raised over how 5G would impact the instrumentation of its aircraft.
To that end, Emirates, Air India, ANA, Japan Air and a couple of others have voiced their concerns, with Emirates in particular suspending flights until all relevant parties can come to an agreement over policy for the 5G rollout.
The airline specifically lists Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco and Seattle as destinations it will not be flying to currently.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided an explanation as to the potential risks caused by the 5G rollout.
“In the United States, 5G services are planned for launch beginning January 19 using frequencies in a radio spectrum called the C-band. These frequencies can be close to those used by radar altimeters, an important piece of safety equipment in aircraft. To make sure that this does not lead to hazardous interference, the FAA requires that radar altimeters are accurate and reliable,” it noted.
“Because the proposed 5G deployment involves a new combination of power levels, frequencies, proximity to flight operations, and other factors, the FAA will need to impose restrictions on flight operations using certain types of radar altimeter equipment close to antennas in 5G networks,” it added.
The two Japanese carriers also provided additional information, citing specifically the Boeing 777 as an aircraft that may present an issue in terms of communication interference in relation to 5G at airports.
“Boeing has announced flight restrictions on all airlines operating the Boeing 777 aircraft,” ANA highlighted as guidance it received from Boeing.
“5G signals for U.S. mobile phones, which will begin operating in the U.S. on January 19, 2022, may interfere with the radio wave altimeter installed on the Boeing 777,” added Japan Airlines.
With the likes of Emirates still operating in US cities like New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, it’s clear that all parties want to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.
When precisely that will be hashed out though, remains to be seen. Either way, it will be an issue that local networks and airports will need to address once 5G becomes widely available in South Africa, whenever that will be.
[Image – Photo by Unleashed Agency on Unsplash]
