It has been months since Verizon and AT&T agreed to temporarily limit their 5G expansion plans due to concerns about how the new wireless standard could interfere with aircraft tools. All this time, the Federal Aviation Administration has been working with the cellular carriers to find a solution to using 5G safely at and around airports. They are currently in a “phased approach” to the 5G launch.
On Friday, they all reached an agreement that will allow the carriers to expand their 5G service around some airports while continuing to temporarily hold off elsewhere. This will allow companies time to retrofit their aircrafts with equipment that is less susceptible to 5G interference. Part of the plan is to have those with the most vulnerable (to 5G interference) regional aircrafts be required to retrofit the planes with radio frequency filters by the end of the year.
As both the FAA and carriers work together they have also identified certain airports near which the telecommunications companies will be able to enhance their service with the least risk of causing disruptions to flight schedules.
Per the press release, acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen said, “We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist.”
The latest release noted that AT&T and Verizon had previously agreed to limit the service until July 5 and have since offered “to continue with some level of voluntary mitigations for another year.” When that time is up, it’s expected that airlines and other operators will be done with the work required to enhance their aircraft with the appropriate equipment. This would then allow the wireless companies “to operate their networks in urban areas with minimal restrictions.”
“Today’s announcement identifies a path forward that will enable Verizon to make full use of our C-Band spectrum for 5G around airports on an accelerated and defined schedule,” Verizon Chief Administrative Officer Craig Silliman said in the Friday press release. “Under this agreement reached with the FAA, we will lift the voluntary limitations on our 5G network deployment around airports in a staged approach over the coming months meaning even more consumers and businesses will benefit from the tremendous capabilities of 5G technology.”
An AT&T spokesperson also commented, stating that the company is moving toward seeing all voluntary restrictions lapse by next summer.
“Through close coordination with the FAA over the last several months, we have developed a more tailored approach to controlling signal strength around runways that allows us to activate more towers and increase signal strength,” the AT&T spokesperson said. “Though our FCC licenses allow us to fully deploy much-needed C-Band spectrum right now, we have chosen in good faith to implement these more tailored precautionary measures so that airlines have additional time to retrofit equipment.”
