5G Deadline Looms, FAA Urges Action

In two weeks, AT&T and Verizon will turn up the power on 5G signals around some of the country’s biggest airports and the FAA is imploring airlines to harden vulnerable aircraft against interference with their radar altimeters. The telecoms agreed to soften the introduction of 5G in January at some airports in the face of claims by airlines that it would seriously disrupt air traffic. That deal expires on July 5 and the companies appear to be going ahead with the full rollout. The 5G signals operate on the C-Band and the frequencies are close to those used by radar altimeters to measure aircraft height in the final stages of instrument approaches. Reuters got a look at a letter from FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen and he seems worried about potential disruptions.

The FAA has told operators of vulnerable aircraft to retrofit them to prevent interference but apparently some have not. Nolen told the airlines the telecoms are working with the FAA to minimize impact but the FCC, which governs the airwaves, has a part to play, too. "Without additional action by the FCC to cap transmissions at currently attainable power levels, the prospect of additional disruption remains and we are not in any position to offer assurances,” Nolen wrote. Replacing and modifying radar altimeters is happening but won’t be done until the end of this year at the earliest.