LoRaWAN is a widely used Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) network technology designed for the Internet of Things (IoT). Examples include smart city and environmental monitoring, healthcare monitoring, asset tracking, and building automation. It enables long-range, bi-directional communication between devices and a central network server, while also providing secure, scalable, and reliable wireless communication.
The technology uses the unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) radio frequency band and employs a unique modulation technique called Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) to transmit data over long distances. This makes it possible to cover vast areas with a single gateway, providing a low-cost and scalable solution for IoT applications.
One of the key benefits of LoRaWAN is its low power consumption, making it ideal for battery-powered IoT devices. These devices can transmit data over several miles and can remain powered for years on a single battery. The technology also supports a wide range of devices, from sensors and actuators to gateways and smartphones.
Another major advantage of LoRaWAN is its scalability. The network can support millions of devices, making it an ideal solution for large-scale IoT deployments. The technology is designed for easy deployment, with minimal setup and configuration requirements, so it is a cost-effective solution too.
In addition to its low power consumption and scalability, LoRaWAN provides robust security features. The technology employs end-to-end encryption and authentication so that it is difficult for hackers to access sensitive information. The network also supports over-the-air firmware updates, which adds to the ease of maintaining the security of the network and devices.
LoRaWAN is a highly beneficial technology for IoT applications. Its low power consumption, scalability, and robust security features make it a cost-effective, scalable, and secure solution for IoT deployments. Whether you are looking to implement a large-scale IoT deployment or a simple IoT solution, LoRaWAN is a technology worth considering. Check out Peplink’s FlexModule Mini LoRaWAN modem now for the Peplink Balance 20X here.
RootMetrics just released its report that measures overall network experience and performance for the most popular cellular networks in North America.
Test results were based on the second half of 2022 and cover all network technologies (5G, 4G LTE, and any sub-4G technology). The report also looks at the newest C-Band 5G performance for AT&T and Verizon. The test space for the report consists of the entirety of the United States, which includes 125 of the country’s most populated metropolitan markets (as defined by the United States Census Bureau’s Census Urbanized Areas [CUAs].
The report noted a few important points to take away regarding the three top cellular networks: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
2022 RootMetrics Report Highlights for AT&T
AT&T won five national awards, including the U.S. Overall Performance RootScore Award. AT&T was also recognized within the Reliability, Speed, Data and Call categories. AT&T tied with Verizon for first in the Text category. Additionally, AT&T also took home the most State RootScore Awards. Its results in major cities were strong, but it came in second to Verizon. AT&T shows 5G speed gains in 70 C-Band markets. Overall, AT&T has clearly made some improvements, both in LTE and 5G.
2022 RootMetrics Report Highlights for T-Mobile
Compared with its competitors, T-Mobile’s results showed great speeds. It took home 88 Speed RootScore Score Awards, which were higher than those of AT&T (59) or Verizon (71).
Out of all carriers, T-Mobile’s overall median download speeds measured above 50 Mbps in the most cities. T-Mobile was also the only carrier that posted median download speeds above 200 Mbps. These speeds were achieved in 59 markets.
Even more impressive is how in 32 of those cities, T-Mobile recorded median download speeds above 300 Mbps; additionally, it acheived 400 Mbps speeds in one city (Fort Wayne, Indiana). Overall, the carrier delivered the Fastest 5G and the Best Overall 5G Experience in the U.S. for the third time. It was recognized for its top 5G availability four years in a row.
2022 RootMetrics Report Highlights for Verizon
Verizon took home the most awards out of any carrier in major metropolitan markets — a total of 747 awards out of 875 total opportunities. This was a representation of roughly 85% of all possible network awards. Verizon demonstrated the best 5G reliability out of all cellular carriers and earned the second most state-level awards. Verizon showed improved speeds, including 5G C-Band speed increases: RootMetrics’ tests recorded Verizon’s C-Band in 102 of its 123 cities with 5G. Further, the carrier’s 5G speeds improved in nearly 90 of these markets since 1H 2022. Outstanding Verizon reliability has also been seen in major metros, compared to 1H 2022.
When it comes to failover Internet connections, any type of Internet service can be used to backup another. However, due to the reliability of a cellular Internet connection, this is typically the recommended service type. Since the service comes through wirelessly from cell towers, it is less prone to service outages. Unlike wired services, which are run underground in most cases and can easily be broken.
If you require Internet service in order to work remotely from home or run a home office, then you should consider a failover connection. This can be quite an overwhelming process when you first get started. We hope this article will help guide you through.
Selecting a Cellular Provider
Another benefit of cellular services is that they are quick and easy to install. Some users will start by contacting the same service provider as they use on their cell phones. This is an easy way to verify where you have coverage. If needed, check coverage maps from other providers to compare.
Also think about whether you need 4G LTE or 5G service. Currently, the fastest 5G service is limited to small areas within large cities. Other 5G services will provide similar performance as 4G LTE, so it’s worth verifying this with the carrier if it’s not clearly defined on their map. You may also want to look into how much bandwidth your common applications use. This will help determine how much bandwidth speed you need from the cellular provider.
Keep in mind that in any case, cellular bandwidth speeds are variable. They will differ with regards to the frequency band(s) your cellular router is connected to, along with its signal strength and quality. Other factors such as the user load on the cell tower you’re connecting to can also affect your speeds. The best approach is to place the cellular router in a part of your location where signal and speeds are most stable. If you find the only place like that is outside, an external antenna can always be added.
Purchasing a Data Plan
Once you’ve decided on a cellular provider to use for your home office or remote work, you’ll need to purchase a data plan. If you have coverage from multiple providers, check with each to compare what data plans are offered. These plans will typically differ with how much data they allow you to use over the course of a month, as well as the price. If you’re not sure how much that is, you can utilize our data usage calculator to assist. We’ve also outlined typical usage for common applications such as VoIP, Video Calls, and VPN to help you determine how much data you may need.
You’ll find that in most cases usage required for your most important applications can be well under 1 GB of data. This is the amount of data that 5Gstore includes with their current failover plans. Any additional data used will be priced at $10 per 1 GB. For more information, check out our Data Plans here.
Finding an Appropriate Failover Router
The cellular provider will give you an activated SIM card along with the data plan. This will be inserted into the cellular router. What do you need to look for exactly? Are there any specific features you need like VPN or QoS support? What about the hardware – do you need a certain number of Ethernet ports? Use our router advisor to help narrow down the options.
Have you selected a cellular provider to use? If so, do they have 5G service in your location? Even if they do, is it necessary to use your applications successfully? As we stated earlier, determining how much bandwidth speed your applications require will help answer this.
Consider how you might limit your data usage when on your failover connection. This is easiest when you push only your mission critical devices/ applications (e.g. your VoIP phone and computer) over the failover connection. This can be possible by keeping your failover network separate from your primary one.
Or, you may opt for a multi-WAN router that takes both connections and handles the failover itself. These routers usually support load balancing rules, which can also help with managing usage. Load balancing differs between router manufacturers, but generally speaking, it allows you to send specific connections over a single Internet service as needed. For example, you can have your VoIP setup to connect to either your primary or failover service while all other devices/ applications can only use your primary service.
Where to Start?
Whether you’re looking for a separate failover router or something that can connect to both your primary and failover connections, here are some popular solutions:
OpenSignal has released their collection of data from cellular providers over the dates of September 16 to December 14 of 2022. It will be no surprise to some of us that in these cellular reports, T-Mobile has won out above the rest, yet again.
On the mobile network experience report, multiple factors were tested. For overall experience, the cellular report included video, games, voice app, download speed, and upload speed. For coverage, they checked availability across the providers. Lastly, they checked for consistency in excellent quality and core quality.
Experience and coverage might make sense, but what about consistency? Per OpenSignal, “Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.”
Core Consistent Quality represents common, but less demanding use cases such as SD video streaming, web browsing, and email use. Excellent Consistent Quality is designed for higher quality applications such as live video streaming and streaming video games. See how Consistent quality metrics are calculated here.
The only awards that T-Mobile did not take was in the Availability section. That award goes to the previous champion, AT&T. AT&T and Verizon were only 0.2 percentage points away from each other. T-Mobile came up last with a score of 98%.
OpenSignal’s 5G Experience Report awards were a bit of a toss up between Verizon and T-Mobile. The UnCarrier took a slight lead by winning in 4 categories (download and upload speeds, as well as availability and reach), versus Verizon’s 3 (Video, Games, and Voice app experiences). Much like the mobile network experience report, the 5G cellular report tests the same categories, but with 5G specifically, and less the consistency awards. Instead, in coverage, they checked both availability and reach.
Experience awards were all quite close, with Verizon just barely winning out over T-Mobile. The only exception being 5G download speeds. T-Mobile was the clear winner here, topping out at 186.3 Mbps versus 84.9 Mbps from Verizon and 71.1 Mbps from AT&T. Regarding coverage and 5G Availability, T-Mobile won again with a far lead of 30% over its closest competitor, AT&T.
Per OpenSignal, “5G Reach measures the 5G mobile experience in all the locations that matter most to everyday users – i.e. all the places where they live, work and travel. 5G Reach for each operator is measured on a scale from 0 to 10.” The results were a bit closer on this one. With a score of 8.3, T-Mobile had a little over a 2 point lead ahead of AT&T and about 4 points from Verizon.
Something to keep in mind when reviewing the results for yourself – tests were done at the national and regional level. While T-Mobile may be the majority winner, take note of the winners in your state. You may find a different provider is more appropriate.
You may already know that streaming video eats up a lot of data, but what about the important applications you use for business? In this article, we’re going to address some common application types and look at how much data and bandwidth they will require.
VoIP
Like most things, the higher the quality of the call, the more data and bandwidth it will need. Each service uses a different codec to transform speech into data. Below are some common examples.
G.711: uses approximately 1.3 MB of data per minute (78 MB per hour)
G.723.1: uses approximately 0.33 MB per minute (20 MB per hour)
G.726: uses approximately 0.78 MB per minute (47 MB per hour)
G.728: uses approximately 0.48 MB per minute (29 MB per hour)
G.729: uses approximately 0.5 MB per minute (30 MB per hour)
As far as bandwidth, a .256 Mbps by .256 Mbps connection should be more than enough for normal VoIP. However, having speed isn’t enough. You also need a stable, high-quality connection with minimal packet loss and latency. You can measure the health of your internet connection by taking a Speed Test that includes latency, jitter and packet loss. Cloudflare’s speed test does just that. Although, once you have the data, how do you interpret it?
Latency, which is essentially the time it takes for data to reach its destination, is measured directly in the ping time. For an excellent connection, the ping should be under 100ms. For a good connection, it should be under 250ms. Anything higher than that is going to provide poor results.
Jitter is the time difference between when a packet is sent and received. The longer it is, the bigger the delay and the worse the quality of your calls. Jitter is measured in milliseconds, and a good value is between 15-20ms. If it’s any higher than this, the connection will become laggy, and audio will therefore sound choppy.
Packet loss is when “packets” or pieces of data traveling across a network do not reach their end destination. In a VoIP call, this will appear as garbled audio with missing information like words and sentences.
Video Calls
As you might assume, video calls use significantly more data than voice calls. There are a number of variables, such as video quality, screen size, and the specifications of the connecting devices. For example:
A video call between two mobile devices uses about 3.75 MB of data per minute (225 MB per hour).
A video call between a mobile device and a computer uses about 4.5 MB of data per minute (270 MB per hour)
Here’s a look at usage when we factor in the video quality:
A standard definition video call uses an average of 190 MB per hour.
A high-quality video call uses an average of 400 MB per hour.
An HD video call uses an average of 1.25 GB per hour.
Regarding bandwidth requirements, here are some averages we gathered:
1:1 video calling:
High-quality video: 600kbps (up/down)
720p HD video: 1.2Mbps (up/down)
1080p HD video: 3.8Mbps/3.0Mbps (up/down)
Group video calling:
High-quality video: 1.0 Mbps/600kbps (up/down)
720p HD video: 2.6Mbps/1.8Mbps (up/down)
1080p HD video: 3.8Mbps/3.0Mbps (up/down)
Emails
Like online web browsing, checking your email should require no more than 5 Mbps. The amount of data used by emails with attachments can vary based on the size of the attachment. So, based on emails without attachments, you can send and receive 100 and only need 30 MB per month.
Credit Card Transactions
Credit card transactions require very little bandwidth. On average a minimum of 1.5 mbps download speed and 768 kbps upload speed should be sufficient. Data usage is very small as well. If you were to run 1000 credit card transactions per day, this would work out to be just under 300 MB of data.
IP Cameras
There are a few factors that determine how much bandwidth an IP security camera system uses. This includes video resolution, frames per second, file compression (e.g. H.264 and MJPEG), and the number of cameras. All four help to determine exactly how much bandwidth you need for your system.
Note that special applications, like facial recognition or license plate recognition, will eat up more IP camera bandwidth, since these applications require higher resolution and frame rate recording.
In our research, we frequently came across the following formulas for calculating IP camera bandwidth requirements.
Resolution in pixels x Color depth in bits = Bit rate
Bit rate x Frame rate in frames per second = Bandwidth requirement in bits per second
Using the above formulas will give you its raw bandwidth requirement before compression. Audio, communication, and compression protocols also contribute to raw bandwidth, but they generally use a negligible amount.
As an example, let’s say we have a high definition (1280 x 720 pixel) online surveillance system in true color (24 bit) that operates at 30 frames per second. Based on these formulas, we would have a raw bandwidth requirement of 665 Mbps. However, due to compression, this can be reduced down to as little as 2 Mbps (depending on the compression standard).
Here’s a quick reference chart based on resolution and compression:
IP Camera Bandwidth Requirement
Resolution
H.264
MJPEG
1MP (1280×720)
2 Mbps per camera
6 Mbps per camera
2MP (1920×1080)
4 Mbps per camera
12 Mbps per camera
4MP (2560×1440)
8 Mbps per camera
24 Mbps per camera
VPN
A VPN experiences something called “encryption overhead.” Encryption is a form of security for that connection and can increase bandwidth. Any activity you perform on your computer or network with the VPN enabled will use more data than when it is disabled. The increased amount could be anywhere from 2% up to 19%. The strength and protocols of your VPN will also contribute towards more usage.
Generally speaking, the amount of bandwidth speed required for a VPN depends on the type of applications you’re accessing. For example, say you’re downloading a large HD movie file that’s 4GB of data. Over a non-VPN connection, the data usage would be exactly 4GB. However, due to the VPN encryption, the data usage will increase. 4GB is actually 4,096 MB of data, so that means you’re technically transferring closer to 4,396 MB in total.
Streaming Audio
Now, if you’re anything like me, you probably have some sort of music streaming throughout the workday. So, while this might not be “important,” it is common enough that we wanted to touch on the subject. There are dozens of ways to stream music these days. Some of the more popular services include:
Pandora
Spotify
Google Play
Amazon Music
iHeartRadio
SoundCloud
Typically, streaming music does not use much data or bandwidth. Although each service differs slightly in the stream quality. So what does that mean in terms of your data usage? If you were to stream music for an entire eight-hour work day, you would use about 1 GB each day. Based on your average month of 30 days, that could turn out to be up to 30 GB of data usage!
Does this seem like a lot of work? Not sure it makes much sense? Well, we made it more simple for users with our data usage calculator. This is an easy way to help determine your usage requirements, and average monthly usage based on common applications like credit card processing and emails.
DNS, or Domain Name System, is a key component of the internet infrastructure that translates human-friendly domain names (such as www.example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (5.6.7.8). As a result, it plays a critical role in enabling users to access websites and other online resources. However, DNS can also be used as a powerful tool for blocking malware and other malicious content. In this post, we will discuss the reasons why using DNS to block malware is a good idea and how it can help to keep your network and devices safe.
One of the main advantages of using DNS to block malware is that it can provide a first line of defense against cyberattacks. When a user attempts to access a website or other online resource, the DNS server will check to see if the domain name is associated with any known malware. If it is, the DNS server will block the request and prevent the user from accessing the site. This can help to prevent users from accidentally downloading malware or being redirected to phishing sites.
Another benefit of using DNS to block malware is that it can be easily integrated into existing security systems. Many organizations already use DNS servers to manage their network infrastructure and internet access, so adding malware blocking capabilities is a relatively straightforward process. This can help to minimize the need for additional hardware or software and reduce the complexity of managing the security of your network.
Additionally, using DNS to block malware can be a cost-effective solution. Traditional anti-malware solutions, such as antivirus software, can be expensive to purchase and maintain. By contrast, using DNS to block malware can be done with little to no additional costs, as it is often included in the standard DNS service.
Finally, using DNS to block malware can also help to improve the overall performance of your network. Traditional anti-malware solutions can be resource-intensive and slow down your devices, but using DNS to block malware can be done quickly and efficiently, with little impact on network performance.
If you want to take a look at NextDNS, it is free for 300,000 requests per month and is very inexpensive. It works Mac, Windows, Android and iOS. There is even a business license for your whole company.
In conclusion, using DNS to block malware is a good idea because it provides a first line of defense against cyberattacks, can be easily integrated into existing security systems, cost-effective, and can improve the overall performance of your network. By using DNS to block malware, organizations can better protect their networks and devices from malicious content and keep their users safe.
If you have a WAN connection at your home that you wish you could use while you’re traveling, then Peplink’s SpeedFusion Connect Relay is the solution. As long as your hardware is running firmware 8.2 or higher, this allows you to connect your mobile Peplink router to your home Peplink router and use its Internet connection to connect to the Internet. This essentially makes it look like you’re at home rather than connected through the mobile network or VPN connection you’re using. So, it might allow you to connect to things like streaming services more easily.
To learn how to set this up on your own, check out our video at YouTube. You may also follow the steps below.
Configuring the Relay Server
Start by connecting to and logging into your home router. This will act as the Relay server in the connection. We’ll be using a Peplink MAX BR1 Mini in our example.
Navigate to the SpeedFusion Connect tab. Click on setup relay mode. A new screen should appear. Click where it says cloud location and select the location closest to your home.
When done, click on the green checkmark to the right, followed by the apply changes button at the top right.
Once applied, your SpeedFusion connect name will appear with a relay sharing code to the right. Copy this and then apply the changes before moving on.
Configuring the Relay Client
Now that we have configured the server connection, we’re going to log into the client router. In this case we will be using a Peplink Balance 20X.
Navigate to the SpeedFusion Connect tab. Select choose cloud location and a new screen will appear. Refer to cloud location here and click where you see the blank field. A drop down should appear. Select home sharing and then paste in the code you copied from the server router. Click the green checkmark to the right, followed by apply changes at the top right.
Navigate back to the Dashboard to check the status of the changes. Once applied, we will see the SpeedFusion connection appear. Wait while it cycles through the connection process. After a moment, it should say established.
Routing All Traffic Over the SpeedFusion Relay
At this time, we need to configure the client router to send all traffic over our newly connected Speed Fusion relay. Navigate to the network tab, although for some Peplink routers, this will be under the advanced tab. Select Outbound Policy on the left. Click on Add rule here.
Give the custom rule a unique name such as SpeedFusion Relay. Confirm the enable checkbox is checked. Source and Destination should be set to Any. Set the algorithm to priority and then drag and drop your SpeedFusion connection into the WAN list. It should be positioned at the top of the list so that all traffic routes over this connection first. If this fails for some reason, it will fail over to the WAN connection or connections you have in place.
Leave the remaining settings as is. Click save, then apply changes. We’ll then go back to the Dashboard page again to confirm changes are applied and our SpeedFusion is still established.
Checking the Connection
We can also check the connection at the server router and then verify our configuration is working. Once logged back into the server router, first verify the Speed Fusion connection shows it is established here with 1 out of 1 relay clients. Note that additional client connections can be purchased if needed.
At the client router’s web admin page, navigate to the status tab and click on client list. This is where we can confirm the IP address our computer is receiving from the router’s private network. Now that we’ve noted this, we’ll go to active sessions on the left. Click on the search tab at the top of this page and then scroll through the outbound sessions list. This is where it tells us which Internet or WAN service our computer is connecting to the Internet over. As we can see here, it shows our SpeedFusion relay connection, which confirms our configuration is working correctly.
If you have more questions, or you’re interested in purchasing additional relay connections, contact our team by phone, email, or chat!
With much anticipation comes the new Peplink MAX BR1 Mini Core Hardware Revision 3 (HW3). This version of the BR1 Mini is appropriate for M2M or IoT applications where WiFi and GPS are not needed. Without these additional features, it makes the hardware more affordable at a MSRP of $299.
This new hardware supports faster speeds (up to 300Mbps) and an improved overall throughput than the previous HW2 version. Peplink is also providing the feature pack, which users have the option to add on. This pack enables you to use the Ethernet WAN, Hot Failover, WAN Smoothing, GPIO, and Ignition Sensing on your BR1 Mini HW3. You also have access to 3 x Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Even without the feature pack, you still get a single cellular LTE modem (Cat 4) that accepts up to 2 SIM cards for failover purposes (i.e. only one SIM can connect at a time). The modem is compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon as well as other carriers including carriers outside of the U.S. (we recommend checking frequency compatibility when needing an International solution).
This newer generation BR1 Mini has a Micro-Fit industrial power connector, making it more secure than the previous coaxial power connector. Alternatively, for those who want power over Ethernet, you now have active 802.3at PoE support rather than passive PoE.
In addition to the feature pack, customers have the option to bundle services. Just purchase a 2 year or 4 year PrimeCare plan, and you will receive a complimentary feature pack.
In the future, this unit will also support Peplink’s eSIM. For more information about this, check out SpeedFusion Connect LTE details here.
This new BR1 Mini Core HW3 is available now! Get your order in before 3pm CT and your order can ship today.
Any questions? Reach out to our Peplink experts via phone, email, or chat!
Happy New Year! It’s 2023 and we are looking forward to another great year of serving and shipping 5Gstore products to our customers. Although 2022 had its fair share of shipping struggles (mainly the price of gas), our primary shipper, FedEx, was able to keep the packages moving and even enabled a few new advances.
One of those advances is PPOD, or Picture Proof of Delivery. This has rolled out in many areas within the country and will continue to do so throughout the year. Essentially, FedEx is taking pictures at the time of drop off so that any home delivery without a required signature will have visual proof of the delivery. It’s the goal to have this for all deliveries, business or residential, that do not have a regular pick up or drop off schedule.
Another exciting change, which kicked off in 2022, is that FedEx has set a goal of having a completely electrical vehicle deployment by 2040. Last year the company was able to start this journey in California. The result was putting over 100 vehicles on the road. Not only is this good for the environment, but the goal is to cut down the customer cost of fuel and the surcharges that come along with shipping currently. This is a definite win/win.
Although shipping seems to be a 365 day a year event, the fine workers at shipping companies need their holidays too. Below is the 2023 Holiday Shipping Schedule.
4/8 and 4/9- Easter Weekend
5/27, 5/28, and 5/29 (Monday)- Memorial Day Weekend
7/1 and 7/2- 4th of July Weekend
7/4 (Tuesday)- 4th of July Day
9/2, 9/3, and 9/4 (Monday)- Labor Day Weekend
11/11- Veterans Day
11/23 (Thursday) Thanksgiving Day
11/25 and 11/26- Thanksgiving Weekend
12/16 and 12/17- Observed Holiday
12/23, 12/24, and 12/25 (Monday)- Christmas Weekend and Day
12/30, 12/31, and 1/1/24 (Monday)- New Years Weekend and Day.
When shipping around the holidays be aware that Ground Services are occasionally closed. Planning ahead can make a big difference. Many businesses who rely on shipping, will follow this when deciding what day to observe holidays for themselves.
If you have any questions about shipping or when your order may arrive, please contact our team via phone, email, or chat!
The ongoing debate over whether 5G causes issues with airplane equipment continues to be discussed and has reached another compromise. While cellular carriers want airlines to have to bring their equipment up-to-date, an aviation body argues that the current restrictions be made permanent.
The Problem
As satellite TV began to take a dive in the number of users, several frequencies were freed up for alternative use. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) controls who gets to use what frequencies. They ultimately decided that these frequencies were suitable for 5G use so the rights to use them were auctioned off. Verizon and AT&T jumped on the chance to expand their 5G networks and acquired what is called 5G C-Band.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was apparently unaware of this auction. They discovered there was a risk of 5G C-band spectrum interfering with radio altimeters. This is the tool that essentially allows the airplane pilot to determine the altitude of the plane. It is always helpful to the pilot, but even more so in conditions of poor visibility.
Surprisingly, the FAA had been talking about their concerns surrounding the potential risks of C-band interference since 2015. However, the agency didn’t directly communicate these to the FCC until it was too late.
Moving Forward
After several arguments between the two agencies, it’s still unclear as to whether the radio altimeters are truly at risk – there has been limited evidence. Still, delays were put in place to push out deployment, as well as restrictions at and around certain airports.
An agreement was also made that gave the aviation industry until July 2023 to check their older aircraft. They would update radio altimeters as needed. Since that agreement, the deadline has again been pushed back, this time to February 2024.
This past October, the aviation industry said that the temporary restrictions weren’t doing anyone any harm. They added that the costs of fixing the issue was expensive. So, it was argued that the power limitations be made permanent. The FAA rejected this. Instead, they decided to give airlines more time. Arstechnica reported the following:
Today, the FAA proposed a deadline of February 1, 2024, to replace or retrofit faulty altimeters, which are used by airplanes to measure altitude.
Out of 7,993 airplanes on the US registry, the FAA said it “estimates that approximately 180 airplanes would require radio altimeter replacement and 820 airplanes would require the addition of radio altimeter filters to comply with the proposed modification requirement.” The total estimated cost of compliance is $26 million […]
“Some radio altimeters may already demonstrate tolerance to the 5G C-Band emissions without modification,” the FAA said. “Some may need to install filters between the radio altimeter and antenna to increase a radio altimeter’s tolerance. For others, the addition of a filter will not be sufficient to address interference susceptibility; therefore, the radio altimeter will need to be replaced with an upgraded radio altimeter.”
Another suggestion was also rejected by the FAA. The problem was only that affected radio altimeters reported a fault, but still functioned properly. So, they suggested that pilots simply be advised not to be concerned by the alerts at known problem spots. The FAA stated that this risked air crews becoming desensitized to system warnings, which “can lead to a catastrophic event.”
