Tag: FCC

How Long Will It Take to Resolve the Issues Surrounding C-Band 5G

Just when we thought we had heard about the last delay with C-Band 5G, the FAA now says it could take another year before areas around airports will benefit from C-Band’s speed upgrades. 

The subject was a hot topic that was discussed at a hearing held Thursday by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. During this hearing, lawmakers voiced frustration with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, and asked why the standoff was not resolved earlier.

The aviation industry and FAA had warned that 5G interference could impact sensitive airplane electronics such as radio altimeters, which gauge the height of an aircraft above terrain immediately below it and are used in low visibility landings. Steve Dickson, the FAA Administrator, testified that federal agencies need to improve their coordination in such matters because there will be additional spectrum issues in the future.

“The process did not serve anyone well,” Dickson said. “It did not serve the aviation community well, certainly the FAA, and it also did not serve the telecommunications industry well. And we certainly need to do better as a country.”

“5G and aviation can safely coexist,” Dickson told the panel. He then took the next two hours to explain how much work it’s going to take before that safe coexistence can occur.

With regards to the steps taken by AT&T and Verizon thus far, Dickson said he’s satisfied this will help to avoid possible interference on their initial C-Band 5G service. The frequency in question ranges from 3.7 to 3.8GHz and radio altimeters – the devices that the service can interfere with – operate from 4.2 to 4.4GHz. 

AT&T and Verizon have already pushed back their C-Band launches twice and agreed not to deploy C-Band in buffer zones around airports created by the FAA. This began in December, but rollouts did not start until January 19th. 

Intensive testing has been performed by the FAA and they continue to do so. They have already cleared 20 altimeter models and certified 90 percent of the US commercial fleet as safe to operate in low-visibility conditions that would require relying on radio altimeters.

“All parties are working together very effectively at this point,” Dickson said, crediting wireless carriers for providing the government with more detailed information about cell-site location, power strength, and signal shape.

What about smaller aircrafts? Regional and business jets, helicopters and other “general aviation” aircraft with altimeters are still uncertified against C-Band interference.

Dickson noted that discussions with altimeter manufacturers are showing some promise. They’ve suggested some of those altimeters could be fixed with radio-frequency filters. Ultimately, the FAA needs to write altimeter performance standards for C-Band resistance, which he said will probably take a year before manufacturers can design new units.

With that being said, it means the originally planned 6 month delay is going to run much longer. The good news is that the testing everyone is doing is already helping the FAA to chip away at the buffer zones, making them just a little smaller as time goes on. 

Almost every member of Congress at the hearing had the same questions we’ve had – how could an interagency coordination process meant to avoid last-minute conflicts could have gone so wrong? 

Dickson’s response put partial blame on the wireless carriers, saying that they did not provide sufficiently detailed technical data until December. Some committee members, meanwhile, blamed extended leadership vacancies during most of the Trump administration at the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the agency that’s supposed to help coordinate these efforts. 

A failure to communicate indeed, which still continues it seems since the FCC, which ran the C-Band auction, did not participate in the hearing. 

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T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular Win 3.45 GHz Spectrum for 5G

Last November, T-Mobile invested nearly $3 billion in the FCC’s Auction 110. This secured them an additional 21 MHz of mid-band spectrum, which they are now using to cover areas with their Ultra Capacity 5G service. These areas will provide service to around 184 million people across the United States.  

Technically speaking, this mid-band service is running off 3.45 GHz and it’s ideal for 5G. This is because it has a good balance of coverage and capacity. Users can identify the better connection on their smartphones when the “5G UC” icon pops up next to the signal on the smartphone. 

In today’s announcement T-Mobile’s President of Technology, Neville Ray said, “While Verizon and AT&T remain locked in a 5G race for second place, we’ll use this additional spectrum to take our 5G network to the next level.”

While its competitors were arguing about the C-Band and possible risks with aircraft tools, T-Mobile was quick to deploy the 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum it acquired in the merger with Sprint. Thanks to their hard work the carrier estimates that 310 million people are covered by T-Mobile’s 5G network. Now, 210 million of those people are covered by its Ultra Capacity 5G. Their next plans are to bring Ultra Capacity 5G to 260 million people this year and 300 million in 2023.

U.S. Cellular also boasted about its 3.45 GHz winnings today. A company announcement said, “Combining mid-band purchases of CBRS spectrum in Auction 105 and C-band in Auction 107 with the spectrum acquired in recently-completed Auction 110, U.S. Cellular will have mid-band spectrum in the great majority of its operating footprint, and over 80% of subscribers will be covered with mid-band spectrum depths of 100 MHz or more.”

In Auction 110 U.S. Cellular purchased 380 licenses covering 97% of its subscribers. They also spent over $579 million. In comparison, AT&T spent the most in the auction, spending over $9.1 billion. Dish Networks spent $7.3 billion; T-Mobile spent nearly $3 billion; and Three Forty-Five Spectrum LLC spent over $1.3 billion.

“We know that to offer an exceptional 5G experience, we need all three layers of the 5G spectrum cake – low, mid and high band. And now with our successful participation in Auctions 105, 107 and 110, U.S. cellular has achieved its mid-band position objectives,” said U.S. Cellular CEO Laurent Therivel, in a statement.

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5G rollout continues today, despite FAA concerns

Today is finally the day that Verizon is rolling out their 5G Ultra Wideband (5G UWB) network. Buffer zones around 50 airports have been enabled in preparation. This comes after much back and forth consulting, and arguing, between the FAA, the FCC, AT&T, and Verizon. 

While things seem to have settled down between the companies, tensions at airports are quite high as some flights are being delayed or canceled with fear of potential risks. This is because of the closeness between the frequencies 5G is running on – what’s called the C-Band spectrum – and the frequencies used in aircrafts. There have been concerns of interference risks with aircraft landing tools – specifically the airplane’s altimeter, which helps the pilot verify distance between the plane and the ground. This is mainly beneficial in situations where the weather is poor and tools are needed to help the pilots land safely. 

AT&T, who also agreed to delay and limit their 5G rollout, on the same C-Band spectrum, commented recently. 

“At our sole discretion we have voluntarily agreed to temporarily defer turning on a limited number of towers around certain airport runways as we continue to work with the aviation industry and the FAA to provide further information about our 5G deployment,” AT&T said in a statement Tuesday.

Verizon followed AT&T saying, “We have voluntarily decided to limit our 5G network around airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our nation’s airlines have not been able to fully resolve navigating 5G around airports, despite it being safe and fully operational in more than 40 other countries.”

CEOs from American, United, Delta and seven other major carriers also warned of “significant” disruptions in the country’s aviation system if the 5G rollout continued as planned.

In a letter, U.S. airline leaders wrote to government officials Monday asking that the wireless carriers not deploy 5G within two miles of runways at certain airports.

“This will allow 5G to be deployed while avoiding harmful impacts on the aviation industry, traveling public, supply chain, vaccine distribution, our workforce and broader economy,” the CEOs wrote.

The FAA warned pilots won’t be able to use radio altimeters to land at 88 airports closest to Verizon and AT&T’s 5G towers. Earlier this month, the FAA and wireless carriers agreed to implement “buffer zones” around 50 airports across the country to try to mitigate the issue.

Airline officials, however, said this is not enough. United Airlines said the current plan will have “devastating” impacts on its operation, impacting an estimated 1.25 million of the carrier’s passengers and at least 15,000 flights.

“We won’t compromise on safety – full stop,” United said in a statement.

Captain Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines 737 pilot and a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, also called the rollout “unsafe.”

“We’re not going to fly the airplane unless it’s safe,” Tajer told ABC News. “But putting that added distraction of other systems going wrong close to the ground is not the way you run a safety culture.”

AT&T and Verizon have been touting that the 5G C-Band spectrum has been proven safe in about 40 other countries. However, what is generally missed, is the fact that the power of the 5G signals in these other countries is much lower than what we have planned here in the United States. With this increased power and unknowns surrounding how aircrafts will be affected, it’s clear why the FAA is so concerned. 

In a statement, AT&T made clear its frustration with the federal government, writing in part: “We are frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it do so in a timely manner. We are launching our advanced 5G services everywhere else as planned with the temporary exception of this limited number of towers.”

When asked why the FAA did not act over the past two years, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “There will be lots of time to look back and see how we got here. And I know many of you will do that. And, of course, that is understandable. But right now, over the next 24, or less than 24 hours, what we’re focused on is trying to come to a solution that will minimize travel — you know disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations — on our economic recovery.”

President Biden thanked Verizon and AT&T for the delay, saying in a statement, “This agreement will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90 percent of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled.”

The president said the agreement “protects flight safety and allows aviation operations to continue without significant disruption and will bring more high-speed internet options to millions of Americans.”

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AT&T and Dish Network win big in latest 5G spectrum auction

As wireless carriers in the U.S. look to build out their 5G networks, they’ve partly looked to acquire mid-band spectrum through auctions held by the FCC. Most talked about has been the C-Band. This was acquired by AT&T and Verizon and has experienced serious delays due to possible interference with aircraft tools. However, another major auction just took place. This time for licenses of wireless spectrum that sits between the 2.5 gigahertz and 3.5 gigahertz range of radio frequencies. In comparison, it was smaller than the previous C-Band auction. 

This auction, for the 3.45 GHz spectrum, started back in October. It has finally come to an end with AT&T and Dish network as its big winners. AT&T spent $9.1 billion and Dish spent $7.3 billion. T-Mobile was the third-highest bidder in the auction, spending $2.9 billion. Verizon Communications did not participate in the auction, likely because of the millions (together with AT&T) already spent on the C-Band.  

Per the FCC this past Friday, the auction brought in more than $22.5 billion in total proceeds for the 5G wireless spectrum. Congress required a portion of the proceeds, which are going to be used to pay for new equipment. This is meant to ensure that existing military equipment can coexist with cell towers and other gear used by wireless carriers when they deploy 5G service. All other money from the auction will go to the US Treasury. 

Overall, AT&T is still coming in at the bottom when compared to T-Mobile and Verizon in 5G coverage, though that could change with the addition of this mid-band spectrum. These airwaves were once reserved for the military, but will soon be used for 5G wireless service, hopefully without any delays! The mid-band spectrum has the ability to connect more devices and offer real-time feedback, which is helping to advance things like self-driving cars and advanced augmented reality experiences. Mid-band spectrum provides more-balanced coverage and capacity due to its ability to cover a several-mile radius with 5G, despite needing more cell sites than lower-tiered spectrum bands. 

Even after all the mid-band coverage, there is still demand for more mobile services. Wireless carriers have all been asking for more airwaves to be made available. In response, the FCC has been working to repurpose spectrum from other industries, including TV and satellite broadcasters. They’ve also looked to commercial entities for spectrum and are coordinating with certain government agencies like the Defense Department, to provide commercial providers with more access to spectrum. 

In recent years, the wireless industry has dedicated more than $100 billion into acquiring these airwave licenses. The FCC is planning for even more auctions in the future.

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Verizon and AT&T agree to additional C-Band delay

In early 2021, an FCC auction sold Verizon and AT&T rights to use “C-band” frequencies at a price of almost $70 billion. The carriers are certainly eager to roll out the service, not only to catch up to T-Mobile, but because the new spectrum will provide in-between performance over much wider coverage areas. T-Mobile is unaffected currently since it uses mid-band spectrum that isn’t in the C-band.

Since our update on C-Band delays yesterday, we understand that both carriers have agreed to the additional 2 week delay.

Verizon:

“We’ve agreed to a two-week delay which promises the certainty of bringing this nation our game-changing 5G network in January, delivered over America’s best and most reliable network.”

AT&T:

“At Secretary Buttigieg’s request, we have voluntarily agreed to one additional two-week delay of our deployment of C-Band 5G services. We also remain committed to the six-month protection zone mitigations we outlined in our letter. We know aviation safety and 5G can co-exist and we are confident further collaboration and technical assessment will allay any issues.”

We’ve also learned that FAA Communications deputy assistant administrator Jeannie Shiffer provided a statement to The Verge saying, “Safety is the core of our mission and this guides all of our decisions. The FAA thanks AT&T and Verizon for agreeing to a voluntary delay and for their proposed mitigations. We look forward to using the additional time and space to reduce flight disruptions associated with this 5G deployment.”

Per the agreement, she adds that companies will use mitigations similar to those already in place in European countries. The deal will see those mitigations put in place around 50 airports for six months. The FAA says, “While U.S. standards and operating environments are unique, we believe this could substantially reduce the disruptions to air operations.”

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AT&T and Verizon reject U.S. request to delay 5G deployment

January 5th is fast approaching. This is the date in which carriers, AT&T and Verizon, were instructed to delay 5G rollout on the C-Band spectrum. If you’re not already aware, this is because of possible interference on these frequencies with aircraft safety tools. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson sent out a request to delay 5G rollout, again, this time for another 2 weeks. This request was sent to the CEOs from AT&T and Verizon, who have responded in a joint letter as of yesterday. 

“Commercial C-band service would begin as planned in January with certain exceptions around priority airports,” states the request. 

The request comes two days after the trade group Airlines for America (A4A) asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop the wireless industry from turning on C-band spectrum for commercial deployment on January 5. The airline group has said it may go to court today if the FCC does not act.

Per the FAA, they need the additional two weeks to “identify the priority airports.” The FAA also needs the extra time to approve certain high-performing radio altimeters to operate at those airports.

“This will allow for 5G C-band to deploy around these priority airports on a rolling basis, such that C-Band planned locations will be activated by the end of March 2022, barring unforeseen technical challenges or new safety concerns,” said the request.

The previous delay request was to limit coverage around airports for at least 6 months. The carriers agreed to this, but in their response, denied any broader limitation on using C-Band spectrum. They said the Transportation Department proposal would be “an irresponsible abdication of the operating control required to deploy world-class and globally competitive communications networks.”

AT&T and Verizon also proposed a new exclusion zone in their response. The exclusion zone is currently in use in France, the carriers said, “with slight adaption” reflecting “modest technical differences in how C-band is being deployed.” Per FAA officials, France uses spectrum for 5G that sits further away from spectrum used for radio altimeters and uses lower power levels for 5G than those authorized in the United States.

“The laws of physics are the same in the United States and France,” the CEOs wrote. “If U.S. airlines are permitted to operate flights every day in France, then the same operating conditions should allow them to do so in the United States.” 

Verizon states they will only use spectrum in the same range as used in France, but they plan to use additional spectrum in the coming years. The larger U.S. exclusion zone around U.S. airports is “to make up for the slight difference in power levels between the two nations,” Verizon added. 

Regarding the new exclusion zones, government and industry officials say it is not as large as what the FAA had suggested earlier.

The FAA and Buttigieg on Friday proposed identifying priority airports “where a buffer zone would permit aviation operations to continue safely while the FAA completes its assessments of the interference potential.”

An FCC spokesperson said Sunday the agency is “optimistic that by working together we can both advance the wireless economy and ensure aviation safety.”

Wireless industry group CTIA said 5G is safe and spectrum is being used in about 40 other countries.

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Boeing and Airbus Urge Biden Administration to Delay C-Band Rollout

Boeing and Airbus, two of the largest commercial airplane manufacturers, have joined the conversation about possible interference to aircraft tools from 5G’s C-Band spectrum. Like the FAA, they’re urging the Biden Administration to delay the rollout of service next month. 

Statements from the manufacturing companies were sent in the form of a letter to the Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, to say the January 5 rollout could cause interference that could “adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate.”

The CEOs presented the idea of a new proposal – limit the power of 5G transmissions near airports, and call on the Biden administration to work with the FCC to adopt such a plan. 

Indications were made that amongst the trouble caused by the pandemic, it is not worth the risk of deploying the service without restrictions. Such as the new rule the FAA announced earlier this month. It forbids pilots from using auto-landing and other certain flight systems at low altitudes where 5G wireless signals could interfere with onboard instruments that measure a plane’s distance to the ground. 

The rule was characterized as urgent, so the FAA bypassed the typical public feedback process in issuing the restrictions. It is that important, as it affects more than 6,800 US airplanes and dozens of aircraft manufacturers, and could lead to disruptions in some flight routes involving low-visibility conditions, which obviously poses potential risks. 

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US Aviation Restrictions and 5G C-Band Interference

Concerns over the 5G C-Band (3.7-3.98 GHz) and aviation safety are still a hot topic. While there have been no reports of any issues, these concerns are quite valid. If you’re not already familiar with this story, the FAA alerts say that 5G can interfere with radar or radio altimeter signals. These tools measure the distance between the aircraft and the ground. Data from these devices are then fed to the cockpit safety system. This helps pilots gauge the air safety metrics and prevent mid-air collision, avoid crashes and ensure a safe landing.

In order to avert any potential disruption in essential safety sensors, the FAA issued flight restrictions that would prevent pilots from operating the automatic landing option and other cockpit systems during inclement weather conditions. These directives are primarily intended to make 5G expansion and aviation coexist without compromising passenger safety. However, some airline industry groups have voiced concern because this can impact flights when they need these tools and systems the most.

Along with the FCC, the FAA has been conducting safety studies to help move things forward, as the telecom industry continues to argue the concerns are invalid. Specifically in the spotlight, Verizon and AT&T have cited data from several countries where the C-Band has been safely coexisting with the aviation industry. Despite these arguments, the two telecom companies have voluntarily suspended the rollout of the C-Band until January 2022. The carriers have also agreed to minimize the power consumption of C-Band base stations around airports till July 6, 2022. In the meantime, they continue to work together to resolve the issue. 

Both Verizon and AT&T have a lot in stake with C-Band. The C-Band offers significant bandwidth with better propagation characteristics for optimum coverage in both rural and urban areas than mmWave, which has a short range and requires a high density of sites to achieve coverage. Consequently, it is deemed a prized asset for carriers like Verizon and AT&T that lack considerable mid-band spectrum holdings. Verizon was the largest bidder with $45.5 billion worth of bids in the FCC-led C-Band auction for mid-band airwaves that generated about $81.2 billion in gross proceeds, followed by AT&T at $23.4 billion. The auction offered 280 MHz of spectrum for potential 5G deployments over the next few years. While Verizon secured 3,511 of the 5,684 licenses up for grabs, AT&T claimed 1,621.

On the other side, leading U.S. House Democrats have urged the FCC to consider the gravity of the issue raised by the FAA. They’ve sought an immediate restraining order for the deployment of the C-Band for wireless use until a thorough risk assessment is conducted. Although the FCC did not comment, a coalition of industry trade groups has pointed out that further delay in the rollout of 5G technology would likely hamper the country’s economic growth.

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AT&T and Verizon agree to Limit 5G C-Band Spectrum for 6 Months due to FAA Concerns

For the past few weeks, we’ve reported about the delay on Verizon and AT&T’s rollout of 5G service on the C-band spectrum. Originally planned for only 1 month, the delay is due to concerns about interference with aircraft sensors. 

While the FAA still investigates this, there have yet to be any reports of incidents with actual interference. This is known because this particular section of frequency spectrum is already used in almost 40 other countries. All of which have never reported issues. 

The FCC has been involved and even approved use of the C-Band spectrum from 3.7 to 3.98 GHz. This came only after analyzing the aviation industry’s interference claims and finding no evidence to support the claims. The FCC also required a 220 MHz guard band that will remain unused to protect altimeters from interference. That guard band is more than twice as big as the 100 MHz buffer initially suggested by Boeing, the FCC has said.

As detailed in a proposal posted on Wednesday, the carriers (AT&T and Verizon), have agreed  to lower the signals’ cell-tower power levels nationwide and impose stricter power caps near airports and helipads, according to a copy reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. This implementation will last for at least 6 months while the FAA continues to monitor the situation.

“While we remain confident that 5G poses no risk to air safety, we are also sensitive to the Federal Aviation Administration’s desire for additional analysis of this issue,” the companies said in the letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Wireless industry officials have held frequent talks with FCC and FAA experts to discuss the interference claims and potential fixes, according to people familiar with the matter.

The FAA welcomed the proposal, but has not yet indicated whether it will agree to it.

The paper also notes that 5G users shouldn’t be significantly affected as carriers already use directional antennas near airports to limit the power of the signals reaching aircraft, and within terminal buildings most people use WiFi.

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AT&T and Verizon Delay 5G Rollout Due to Air Safety Concerns

As reported by Bloomberg (and previously Wall Street Journal), AT&T and Verizon are delaying their rollout of 5G – specifically what is referred to as the C-band. It was discovered that it might interfere with aircraft electronics, federal officials said. The companies confirmed the 30-day delay to Jan. 5. 

Technically, the 5G spectrum is near radio signals used by radar altimeters, devices that measure how close an aircraft is to the ground. The FCC earlier approved use of these airwaves, which took millions to obtain. 

The FAA confirmed it is working with the FCC and other agencies to allow the new technology to safely coexist with aviation. Though, you have one agency saying yes, while the other says, wait!

The FAA bulletin said pilots should remind passengers to place any 5G device into airplane mode or switch them off during flight, and to notify the agency of any signs of interference. However, the bulletin also said there have been no confirmed reports of interference at this time. 

On Thursday, the U.S. agencies in their statement pledged to “continue to coordinate closely to ensure that the United States keeps pace with the rest of the world in deploying next-generation communications technologies safely and without undue delay.” 

For more on this case, check out the Bloomberg article.

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