In a letter sent to U.S. transportation and economic officials by airline CEOs, the companies are warning that the launch on Wednesday of 5G service by AT&T and Verizon could ground flights and leave “tens of thousands of Americans” stranded overseas.
The launch of 5G has been delayed two weeks because of concerns over interference with some safety features on airplanes related to the operation of the altimeter. The telecom providers point out that 5G has been in operation in Europe for a couple of years and no major disruption has occurred.
The fifth-generation wireless technology of 5G promises to deliver ultra-fast internet speeds, extra bandwidth, and increased connectivity. The government auctioned off bandwidth in the “C” range in early 2021 in the 3.7-3.98 GHz range on the spectrum. The problem is in the proximity of those bandwidths to the 4.2-4.4 GHz ranger in which altimeters operate.
Altimeters tell a pilot how high he is and are used to facilitate automated landings and to help detect dangerous currents called wind shear. The airlines are arguing that pilots will be unable to use altimeters at night or during a rain or snowstorm because of new FAA rules.
“Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded,” they said in the letter, which was signed by the chief executives of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue, along with leaders of UPS and FedEx.
“Immediate intervention is needed to avoid significant operational disruption to air passengers, shippers, supply chain and delivery of needed medical supplies,” the letter said.
Without clearance, it added: “To be blunt, the nation’s commerce will grind to a halt.”
That really does sound “catastrophic,” but how true is it? After all, 5G has been operational in Europe since 2019 and planes aren’t dropping out of the sky there.
The concern is over the bandwidth range that would be allowed in the U.S.
The European Union in 2019 set standards for mid-range 5G frequencies in a 3.4-3.8 GHz range, a lower frequency than the service set to be rolled out in the United States. The bandwidth has been auctioned in Europe and is in use in many of the bloc’s 27 member states so far without issue.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which oversees 31 states, said on Dec. 17 the issue was specific to U.S. airspace. “At this stage, no risk of unsafe interference has been identified in Europe,” it said.
FAA officials have noted the spectrum used by France (3.6-3.8 GHz) sits further away from the spectrum (4.2-4.4 GHz) used for altimeters in the United States and France’s power level for 5G is much lower than what is authorized in the United States.
The airline executives say that up to 4% of domestic flights could be affected, which, along with cancellations because of weather and staff shortages due to COVID, has the potential to paralyze the industry.
The FAA has said it will take the precaution of prohibiting pilots from using altimeters during landing at more than 80 airports near 5G sites. The CEOs are talking about the possible cancellation of more than a thousand flights daily, affecting as many as 100,000 passengers.
Verizon says it won’t use any of the frequencies in the upper level of the C band for several years. Perhaps by then, a technical solution can be found that would give customers all the bandwidth they need and give airline passengers peace of mind.
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