Thursday, December 16, 2021
“Biggest, Most Damaging Problem”
US airlines are urgently warning against 5G
The imminent introduction of the 5G mobile communications standard in the midst of the Omikron wave of the pandemic is putting the aviation industry in the USA on the barricades. Industry experts have been voicing acute safety concerns around the world for months. Significant disruptions in air traffic could result.
The rollout of 5G in the US could put a damper on the post-pandemic aviation industry recovery due to additional security measures, according to US airlines. Telecommunications providers AT&T and Verizon’s plans to use C-band spectrum for 5G cellular services are “the biggest and most damaging problem we face. We want nothing more than to work on a solution,” said Scott Kirby, United Airlines CEO at a US Senate hearing.
Airlines for America (A4A) cited that if the latest FAA regulations on how to deal with potential interference from 5G had been in effect in 2019 before the pandemic, for example, “approximately 345,000 passenger flights, 32 million passengers and 5400 cargo flights in the form of delayed flights, diversions or cancellations “. Gary Kelly, chief executive of Southwest Airlines, said the FAA policy “will have a significant impact on our operations once it goes into effect on January 5th”.
In its latest guideline, the FAA calls for a revision of the flight manuals for airplanes and helicopters: some flight maneuvers that require radio altimeter data should be banned for safety reasons when 5G C-band broadband signals are available. 5G could lead to possible interference with sensitive aircraft electronics.
In November, AT&T and Verizon agreed to postpone commercial rollouts of the C-band wireless service until January 5 after the FAA raised concerns. The operators have no interest in a further delay in the use of the frequencies: In an auction earlier this year, the wireless industry had put more than 80 billion dollars on the table to get access to the C-band.
What are the dangers of 5G when flying?
In the US, 5G is closer to the frequency range of radio altimeters. But also in Europe aviation authorities are alarmed because of the introduction of the new mobile radio standard. 5G is supposed to offer up to ten times faster data transmission – but using smartphones or tablets during the flight may no longer be possible in the future due to security concerns, warn experts.
A spokesman for the French aviation authority DGAC warned the AFP news agency in February: “The use of 5G devices on board aircraft could lead to risks of interference, which could potentially lead to errors in altitude measurements.” It is about possible signal interference, which could be particularly dangerous when approaching.
The flight altitude of an aircraft is determined on the one hand by air pressure measurement, on the other hand by a radar device on board and electromagnetic waves. With these radar altimeters, the DGAC now sees the risk of interference from 5G. The French authority had informed other airlines of the potential danger and recommended that all 5G-compatible devices on board be switched to airplane mode or switched off. This also applies to smartphones and tablets. The problem is also being investigated in Germany. The Federal Network Agency confirmed that it is accompanying studies on the influence of radio altimeters and 5G.