FAA continuing to work with aviation industry on 5G roll-out

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday it is continuing to work with aviation officials over 5G c-band roll out as it cleared approximately 45 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet to perform low-visibility landings at many of the airports where 5G c-band was scheduled to be deployed on Jan. 19.

In a statement, the FAA said it had also approved two radio altimeter models already installed in a wide variety of Boeing and Airbus planes. The agency said that the combined approvals open up runways at 48 of the 88 airports most affected by 5G C-band interference.

“As of Jan. 5, none of the 88 airports would have been available for landing during low-visibility conditions. The wireless companies agreed to create buffer zones for six months around airports where transmitters are in close proximity,” the FAA said in a statement. “Even with these new approvals, flights at some airports may still be affected. The FAA also continues to work with manufacturers to understand how radar altimeter data is used in other flight control systems.”

The airplane models approved include some Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, MD-10/-11, and Airbus A310, A319, A320, A321, A330, and A350 models. The FAA said it anticipates that more approvals will be issued in the coming days.

At issue is a concern by the aviation industry that proposed 5G deployments may interfere with airplanes’ radio altimeters that measure the distance between the aircraft and the ground.

In a letter from Airlines for America Tuesday, signed by several airline CEOs, officials asked government officials not to allow the deployments of 5G within two miles of runways at certain airports.

“We are writing with urgency to request that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate 2 miles of airport runways at affected airports as defined by the FAA on January 19, 2022,” the letter said. “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.”

On Jan. 14, the FAA warned airlines that Boeing 787s should take additional precautions when landing on wet or snowy runways where 5Gc-band is deployed, saying that safety experts had determined 5G interference with the altimeter could “prevent engine and braking systems from transitioning to landing mode, which could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the runway.”

On Tuesday afternoon, AT&T and Verizon said they would delay their 5G roll-out.

“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.