FAA experts have warned of the negative impact of 5G on aviation.
Interference from 5G communications could adversely affect equipment in aircraft and pose a safety risk in civil aviation. This was reported by Reuters.
Experts from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have warned air carriers and telecoms operators about the potential dangers of the fifth-generation standard. Experts identified concerns that interference from 5G could affect critical equipment on aircraft, such as radio altimeters. The FAA has recommended revising aircraft and helicopter flight manuals to account for the impact of the new communications standard.
For example, one document states that the impact of 5G communications on aircraft equipment can be particularly severe at short distances from the ground - on takeoff or landing. That said, experts who noted the dangers of the new standard expressed hope that "the 5G standard and aviation will safely coexist".
Journalists have noted that the FAA, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the White House will continue to discuss the issue of 5G restrictions in aviation with industry representatives. The agency said that specific situations and areas where the use of 5G could affect equipment in aircraft could be identified in the future.
One US operator, Verizon, said there was no evidence that data transmission over 5G using C-band spectrum posed any threat to aviation. The company also said it intends to launch 5G using C-band in January 2022 to connect up to a hundred million Americans to the network in the first quarter of the year.
In November 2020, experts from the US Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) identified the real dangers of 5G communication networks when interfacing with air transport. "Safeguards are needed to ensure that safety-critical aviation systems are protected," said RTCA head Terry McVenes.
