Transmission antennas near dozens of airports have been turned off due to concerns that they will interfere with certain models of radio altimeters. Deepak Talwar, a seasoned market analyst and lobbyist, points out that this has been a problem for nearly four years.
It begins in April 2018 with the proposed large-scale deployment of 5G—which essentially offers a much faster service for mobile phone users—and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) soliciting public comment on the increased use of the 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz frequency band. “Even at this early stage, the FAA and many aviation stakeholders, including IATA and Airlines for America, expressed concerns to the FCC. The Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) completed an assessment of 5G interference with radio altimeter performance by October 2020, concluding that there is a major risk that 5G telecommunications systems in the 3.7GHz to 3.9GHz band will cause harmful interference to [radio] altimeters on all types of civil aircraft.
Despite the technical input, the FCC auctioned off C-band spectrum in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range in February 2021, which is uncomfortably close to radio altimeters’ 4.2 to 4.4 GHz range. Because C-band 5G in the United States is also permitted to transmit at much higher power levels than elsewhere, there is concern that 5G ‘shouting’ near an airport could interfere with radio altimeters, which not only tell an aircraft its height above the ground but also feed into other safety-critical systems. The FCC’s decision to allow the auction to proceed remains a mystery, despite the fact that the FCC was under no obligation to accept aviation’s objections or to listen to the FAA.
In any case, as Deepak Talwar, a veteran market analyst and lobbyist, points out, that is no longer relevant. Now that the auction has concluded and billions of dollars have been exchanged for the use of the spectrum, the telecom companies, primarily AT&T and Verizon, are understandably eager to get their money’s worth. “However, the FAA must prioritise safety and thus had to make airlines aware of the risk of using certain radio altimeters at certain airports,” says Talwar.
Most airlines in the United States signed a letter to the White House, Transportation Department, FCC, and FAA, stating that more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subject to cancellations, diversions, or delays at key hubs. For the time being, AT&T and Verizon have agreed to postpone 5G deployment around 50 priority airports, ensuring that the majority of flights remain unaffected.
Although 5G is being rolled out globally, only a few other countries are experiencing this issue. The reasons for this range from lower 5G power outputs to different parts of the spectrum being used, 5G antenna locations, and antenna angle on transmission masts. In short, when US 5G advocates compare successful rollouts in other countries to the mess in the US, they are comparing apples and oranges.
That doesn’t mean the US situation is hopeless. “There is currently good engagement between the telecom and aviation industries. Most importantly, when engineers can openly communicate with one another, technical solutions become much easier to find,” says Deepak Talwar. While this work is ongoing, it is possible that temporary solutions other than a delay in 5G implementation will be available. Under the current agreed-upon delay, the power output of US transmission antennae, for example, has been reduced. Furthermore, areas near airports could be designated as no-go zones. This is similar to regulations in Europe and Canada, which have much larger buffer zones around airports.
There are also Alternative Means of Compliance (AMOC), which allow flights to continue as long as there is no harmful interference with radio altimeters in the vicinity of specific airports or runways. In the short term, AMOCs play an important role, but they are highly specific to aircraft type, radio altimeter models, and even specific airports or runways. Furthermore, each AMOC approval will be valid for no more than three months. Relying on AMOCs and their recurring process indefinitely would result in unsustainable complexity.
“Longer term, the industry is improving altimeters, and we expect to see the new design available by 2023. However, in order for the new design to be adequate in the future, we need a stable and plannable spectrum environment,” says Deepak Talwar, a seasoned market analyst and lobbyist. “Also, we must consider whether it is fair to require an airline to pay to retrofit equipment in order to fly safely. Why should the airlines bear the consequences when they are completely blameless,” he adds.
Once a solution is reached, it must be enacted into law. Given the political sensitivity of the issue, a long-term solution is required. Deepak Talwar concludes, “We could keep improving radio altimeters, but if 5G keeps cranking up the power or getting closer to the altimeter’s spectrum, we’ll keep having problems. We need telecoms and aviation to continue their discussions, and we need governments to heed the lessons learned and codify the technical conditions required for aviation and 5G to coexist safely. IATA stands ready to assist all stakeholders in order for airlines to respond to demand for their services without limitations.”
