Topline
AT&T agreed Tuesday to delay activating 5G cellular data near some airport runways to avoid interfering with aircraft instruments, after airline CEOs warned this week’s 5G rollout would ground many commercial aircraft and disrupt flights.
A crew works on a cell tower in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
Key Facts
AT&T plans to roll out its 5G network on Wednesday, aside from a “limited number” of towers within two miles of some runways, the company said in a statement Tuesday.
The company said it is “frustrated” with what it described as the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to responsibly plan for the introduction of 5G.
AT&T did not say how long it is willing to delay a complete rollout, and urged the FAA to find a way to safely accommodate 5G networks “in a timely manner.”
Emirates, Air India, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines announced they would cancel some flights to the U.S. due to uncertainty about 5G rollouts.
Key Background
5G signals near airports could interfere with the radio altimeters pilots use to measure how close they are to the ground, the FAA said last year. Though radio altimeters are a vital tool for pilots landing in low-visibility conditions, the agency in December ordered many commercial and commuter aircraft not to rely on them when experiencing 5G interference. On Monday, the heads of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx and seven other aviation companies requested that 5G not be implemented within about two miles of airport runways. Otherwise, aircraft could be grounded, they warned, causing “catastrophic disruption” to travel and subjecting up to 100,000 passengers a day to cancellations or delays. Some airlines have considered canceling international flights scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on Wednesday, Reuters reported Monday.
Crucial Quote
If 5G networks are deployed without accommodations for aircraft, “the ripple effects across both passenger and cargo operations, our workforce and the broader economy are simply incalculable,” 10 aviation executives wrote Monday to federal authorities. “To be blunt, the nation’s commerce will grind to a halt.”
Tangent
The Federal Communications Commission does not share the FAA’s misgivings about 5G. The FCC argued last year 5G signals don’t appear to interfere with airplane altimeters, pointing to several studies from Europe.
Further Reading
“‘Frustrated’ AT&T delays 5G rollout near some airports after airlines warned of flight cancellations” (CNBC)
“5G Rollout Could Disrupt Domestic Air Travel Within Weeks” (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/01/18/att-delays-5g-rollout-near-some-airports-after-airlines-warn-of-disruptions/