The Battle for 5G Cellular Service and Air Travel Safety

Kritchanut Onmang / Alamy Stock Photo

In Spanish

Cellular carriers AT&T and Verizon have agreed to limit the rollout of new 5G cellular service that the FAA fears could interfere with flight safety. The deal was announced on Tuesday, a day before the 5G rollout that some say could have caused huge disruptions to airline traffic.

The FAA had warned it would limit flights over concerns that 5G, which provides faster downloads and data connections, could interfere with cabin safety instruments. The FAA warns that pilots on some planes will have to take extra steps when landing in bad weather and that some airports won't be able to accommodate low-visibility landings. The agency also advised passengers to anticipate flight delays and cancellations.

Airline executives said they feared the FAA-related implementation and restrictions would lead to chaos, such as passengers stranded at airports and more supply chain problems, both of which are already wreaking havoc due to staffing shortages and COVID. -19. "Unless flights from our major airports are authorized, the vast majority of the travel and shipping public will remain essentially grounded," said a letter signed by the CEOs of 10 major US passenger and cargo airlines. "The knock-on effects on passenger and cargo functions, on our workforce, and on the broader economy, are simply incalculable." Even several foreign airlines canceled flights to the US due to security concerns.

In response, the companies have agreed to put a two-mile 5G buffer zone around airports. Although reaching a compromise partially solves the problem, the FAA warns that at some airports flights could suffer interference and advised passengers to check with the airline for flight schedules before leaving.

The Biden administration praised the last-minute compromise. “My team has been in non-stop conversations with wireless carriers, airlines and aviation equipment manufacturers to chart a path that ensures the coexistence of 5G deployment and aviation,” President Biden said in a statement. . "Under my direction, they will continue to do so until we close the gap and come to a permanent and workable solution."