Aviation Telecom Groups Agree to Share Data  to help Resolve 5G Safety Concerns

Aviation and telecom groups said Wednesday they will share data to help resolve safety concerns related to new 5G wireless service, which Verizon Communications and AT&T are slated to roll out on Jan. 5.

wireless trade group CTIA, Airlines for America and the Aerospace Industries Association said that they are pleased that after productive discussions we will be working together to share the available data from all parties to identify the specific areas of concern for Aviation.

The Federal Aviation Administration last month raised concerns that the 5G service could interfere with aircraft radio altimeters. Earlier this month it issued an order that could prohibit pilots from using radio altimeters to land when visibility is low.Airline executives last week warned of costly flight disruptions due to the problem. Such flight cancellations, if they were to occur, would come as the industry is looking to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The CEOs of Boeing and Airbus on Monday wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to support a delay to the 5G rollout. They proposed limiting cellular transmissions near airports where those radio altimeters would be used. The FCC did not comment on a potential delay to the rollout but said that they remain optimistic that we will resolve outstanding issues to launch 5G to meet the country’s evolving needs.