The FAA has reached an agreement with AT&T and Verizon to postpone the rollout of some 5G radios until July 2023, giving airlines more time to retrofit airplane equipment to ensure there will be no interference issues.
This latest postponement comes after the carriers and the FAA agreed in January to postpone the rollout of 5G near some airport runways until July 5, 2018. On January 5, the two national carriers began upgrading their 5G networks with the so-called C-band spectrum.
The radio airwaves, which the shipping companies spent a combined $70 billion to acquire last year, were expected to significantly improve 5G speed and coverage.
However, as part of an agreement reached between the FAA and the airlines, the carriers agreed to postpone the deployment of the service around specific airports. The FAA and airlines are concerned that signals from 5G services using the C-band spectrum will interfere with altimeter receivers using a nearby spectrum band. When landing in low visibility conditions, altimeters are used on planes to detect the ground.
The agreement allows Verizon to lift voluntary limits on its 5G rollout around airports "in a staged approach over the coming months," while AT&T agreed to take a "more tailored approach" to controlling the strength of signals near runways so airlines have more time to retrofit equipment.
The developments on Friday were the latest in a long-running dispute between airlines and wireless companies, as well as their respective regulators, the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission, which defined that C-Band service posed no risk to aircraft.
Conflicts between wireless carriers and the FAA became public last year, before the start of 5G service deployment using the C-band spectrum. The FAA threatened to restrict flights in November due to concerns that the 5G service would interfere with some altimeters.
The carriers agreed to postpone the launch of their service, but the issue flared up in January when the carriers began activating the service and major international airlines, including Emirates, Japan Airlines, and ANA, began canceling flights involving Boeing-built planes to several major US airports.
Within days, the airlines resumed flights as the FAA began issuing new approvals for aircraft that it knew would not be affected by potential interference.
According to the FAA, the phased approach requires operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters that are most vulnerable to interference to retrofit their planes with radio frequency filters by the end of 2022. The agency also stated that it has been working with wireless carriers to identify airports where they can safely boost 5G service signals without disrupting flight schedules.
The FAA also stated that affected airlines and other operators of aircraft using radio altimeters must install filters as soon as possible. The agency anticipates that the work to retrofit altimeters will be mostly finished by July 2023.
