Faced with FAA, AT&T and Verizon concerns, 5G expansion may have to be delayed

The FAA is asking AT&T and Verizon to wait even longer before expanding their 5G C range. The technology will interfere with emergency navigation systems.

Last month, AT&T and Verizon were forced to put their potentially faster C-band 5G service on hold due to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, the government agency responsible for oversight) security, regulations, and controls relating to civil aviation in the United States.). Today, it looks like another delay could be coming, again due to FAA concerns.

FAA asks AT&T and Verizon to wait longer before expanding their 5G C-band

The two major operators in the US chose on December 5 to use newly acquired frequencies to roll out the C-band service, but the rollout was delayed until January 5 after the Department of Transportation raised concerns about potential interference. According to a letter obtained by Reuters, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration are currently asking for up to two weeks to investigate all of this.

In the letter in question, sent by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Steve Dixon to the CEOs of AT&T and Verizon, both ask for a delay of “no more than two weeks.”According to Reuters, this is “a proposal for a short-term solution to ensure the coexistence of 5G C-band deployment and aviation safety.”

Among the potential concerns raised was the possibility of pilots using a bad weather safety system that could conflict with this new C-band 5G technology. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would eventually want to promulgate rules preventing pilots from using such systems, The Wall Street Journal explained. In November. U.S. aviation officials have said that C-band 5G could disrupt flights in about forty cities that have C-band antennas installed. Meanwhile, operators have argued that there is no evidence that C-band 5G could affect flight safety.

This technology will interfere with emergency navigation systems.

Within the framework envisaged by the FAA and described by Reuters, the FAA will identify “priority”airports with “a buffer zone that allows flights to continue safely while the FAA completes its interference investigation.”

Reuters reported that both operators had received the letter, but neither had formally agreed to an additional two-week delay. It goes without saying that this new delay is bad news for them. According to Reuters, operators have accused the aircraft industry of holding C-band expansion “hostage until the wireless industry agrees to cover the costs of replacing obsolete altimeters.”

In a statement to Insider, a Verizon spokesperson recently said, “If airlines are so worried about 5G flight cancellations, they really should take a look at their history over the past two weeks,”referring to the wave of cancellations following the emergence of Covid-19 cases. “This industry, which has received $54 billion in subsidies in recent years, is a big concern.”

As frustrated as the executives of the two U.S. carriers are, Reuters notes that the two giants have agreed to a six-month precautionary measure to purchase C-band spectrum in early 2021.