Two wireless carriers were set to expand their new 5G services on January 5, but the airlines refused and asked for government intervention. Contract crews for Verizon work on cell towers to upgrade them to handle a new 5G network in Orem, Utah, on December 10, 2019. George Frey/AFP via the file
AT&T and Verizon will expand the rollout of their 5G wireless services on January 19 following the completion of the two-week delay requested by the Department of Transportation.
Carriers are poised to resume expanding their 5G services on Jan. 5, but airlines are asking for government intervention, citing the service’s potential to interfere with radio altimeters, the equipment pilots use to land planes in bad weather. The concern is that the spectrum of the airwaves used by this new 5G service, known as C-band, could clash with the signal used by radio altimeters.
Both carriers initially rejected the government’s request in early January and planned to move forward, but they reversed course and announced a two-week delay. The two airlines also pledged to temporarily reduce the strength of their networks around airports to allow regulators to study potential flight disruptions more closely.
Fifth-generation wireless technology, commonly referred to as 5G, promises ultra-fast internet speeds and extra bandwidth, features that tech experts say could usher in a new era of internet-connected technology.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on Monday that ongoing talks between the Federal Aviation Administration, major airlines, and wireless carriers are “healthy,” adding that federal officials are doing “all we can to take advantage of every day” that the interim provides. pause.
“I can tell you that there is a lot of technical exchange going on every day, every hour to try to gather information to support analysis, to support engineering, to support safety work so that it can happen,” Buttigieg said in the interview.
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Prior to the agreed delay, Buttigieg and the head of the FAA contacted wireless carriers and said there would be travel disruptions as flights would be canceled or diverted to mitigate potential safety risks.
Buttigieg said the FAA had no plans to ask for another delay and had taken a “conservative approach” citing “an intolerable level of major aviation hazard when you talk about certifying any equipment.”
A source with direct knowledge of the talks, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed Buttigieg’s description and status of the discussions, adding that major airlines expect 5G rollouts to come in waves in select markets.
The industry group representing the wireless industry, CTIA, also confirmed that Verizon and AT&T are preparing to activate 5G base stations on January 19.
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“As part of this agreement, wireless providers have agreed to implement a series of interim measures that collectively represent the strictest protections for air traffic anywhere in the world,” CTIA Chief Communications Officer Nick Ludlum said in an emailed statement.
In recent days, the FAA released a list of 50 airports – including John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport – that will implement a temporary 5G buffer zone for six months.
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