Government Agencies Discussing Aviation Industry’s 5G C-Band Concerns

Government officials are reportedly working together to address concerns raised by the aviation industry regarding the implementation of new 5G C-Band operations.

According to Reuters.com, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Billy Nolen and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) head Alan Davidson met on Monday to discuss the possible aviation safety concerns.

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While the FAA and NTIA declined to comment on the meeting, Nolen previously sent a letter to the Commerce Department's telecommunications unit “seeking a delay in some 5G C-Band transmissions from smaller operators.”

The FAA is reportedly looking to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make the voluntary mitigations from AT&T and Verizon mandatory for “19 smaller telecoms and other spectrum holders.”

In the letter, Nolen wrote that “aviation safety would be compromised if the U.S. government does not codify certain additional operating limits in the 5G C-Band environment,” according to Reuters.

Some in the aviation industry has concerned that 5G service could interfere with airplane altimeters, with several major airline CEOs warning of an “impending catastrophic aviation crisis” during a meeting in January.

In June, AT&T and Verizon voluntarily agreed to delay some C-Band 5G usage until July 2023 as airlines work to remedy potential interference issues.

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