TECH

5G Equipment Can Be A Serious Threat To Aviation

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that interference from 5G equipment operating in the centimeter range allocated to the country can compromise the safety of the flight and even provoke deliberate sabotage.

The aviation industry and the FAA have already raised concerns about the interference that 5G equipment operating in the 3.7-3.98 GHz (C Band) band can create for highly sensitive aircraft instruments such as radio altimeters. Operators AT&T and Verizon agreed in November to postpone the commercial launch of these networks until January 5 of next year. The FAA, in turn, has issued new guidelines that prohibit the use of such equipment in airplanes and helicopters in the presence of centimeter-range signals from terrestrial sources – radio altimeters in the presence of such signals can exhibit anomalous behavior, especially at low altitudes.

At the same time, the department expressed confidence that the expansion of 5G networks will be able to coexist with aviation, and the guidelines issued by it will become the basis for the collection of additional data and, ultimately, will ensure greater flight safety. The FAA now continues to consult with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the White House and industry officials in an effort to establish a precise framework for the restrictions, which will be published in regulatory documents in the coming weeks.

American operators, for their part, have pledged to take precautions to limit interference with aircraft equipment, although industry officials believe they are insufficient. However, Verizon emphasized that there was no evidence that centimeter-band equipment could pose a threat to air safety. The operator will launch the commercial operation of the network on these frequencies in the first quarter of 2022.

AVnews