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Airline industry heavyweights are warning of chaos if Verizon and AT&T resume a full-scale rollout of 5G on Wednesday.
The two telecom companies have twice delayed the presentation, originally scheduled for December 5, amid warnings that base station emissions near airports could affect aircraft auto-landing systems and altimeters.
In the latest warning to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the CEOs of leading US airlines said that “immediate response is needed to prevent significant operational disruptions to air travelers, shippers, the supply chain and the delivery of essential medical supplies. ”
Airlines are demanding that Verizon and AT&T delay flipping the switch on towers two miles from airports that haven’t been cleared by the FAA.
“Given the short time frame and urgency of this completely avoidable economic disaster, we respectfully ask for your support and ask you to take whatever action is necessary to ensure the deployment of 5G, except where the towers are too close to airport runways, until the FAA determines how that could happen. . Airline executives wrote in a letter to Mr Buttigieg and FAA executives on Sunday.
The FAA said early Sunday that about 45% of commercial aircraft “allow low-vision landings at most airports, and 5G C-band will be deployed on January 19.
“Even with these new approvals, flights at some airports may be affected,” the FAA said. “The FAA also continues to work with manufacturers to understand how radar altimeter data is used in other flight control systems.”
Back and forth, it stretches out a months-long saga between the aerospace and telecom giants. After spending more than $81 billion on FCC service licenses in February, U.S. cellular providers are struggling a bit this week to lighten the new frequency.
Verizon and AT&T delayed the rollout of the new service for a month on December 5 after the FAA issued a last-minute warning that base station emissions near airports could interfere with aircraft automatic landing systems and altimeters, the device displaying an aircraft’s altitude.
Airlines for America, a top trade group for the airline industry, then filed an urgent request with the Federal Communications Commission to delay it once again until January 19.
In a joint statement last month from trade groups representing the two industries, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and the Airline and Aerospace Industries Association of America announced that they will “work together to share existing data from all parties to identify specific data.” areas of concern for aviation.”
But airline executives say they need more time, and an early submission could spell disaster for airlines.
“Despite recent collaboration and data sharing between the telecommunications industry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation industry, commercial aviation in the United States faces major disruptions to travel and shipping public opinion based on our assessment of data and controversy. “Airline executives continue to address the issue of how best to deploy 5G ‘C-band’ securely at US airports,” he said.
Cell phone providers say fears about 5G zapping flight altimeters and automated systems that help planes land have been exaggerated, and timely rollout of the technology is “critical to US global leadership.”
Meredith Attwell Baker, President and CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, said in a November article that further delay could lead to real harm. He said a one-year delay would cut $50 billion in economic growth “just like our nation recovering from the pandemic and rebuilding.”
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