Why Are Airlines Freaking Out About 5G?
Verizon and AT&T have slowed down the rollout of 5G near airports as Airline unions warn that 5G can jam critical airplane safety components. While some flights have been canceled, experts say that the crisis did not play out and is far from grounding entire fleets. Here’s a full explainer of what happened and why it happened.
It all started years ago when 5G companies announced they were installing C-Bands equipment for 5G. The early heads-up should have given airline companies, the Federal Aviation Administration, and 5G companies plenty of time to talk things out, but it didn’t. Instead, just weeks before 5G was about to be installed across the country, airline companies began raising alarms that 5G could jam radio altimeters, a critical safety flight component of aircraft.
Related: Boeing And Airbus Executives Warn U.S. 5G Is A Safety Risk
Airlines for America A4A, the biggest trade union of airline companies, say that 5G networks in the U.S. can interfere with basic flight operations. Radio altimeters are used to measure the distance from craft to ground. They are used for landing, terrain warnings, poor visibility flying, and are vital for autonomous flying operations. The FAA has been analyzing aircraft by aircraft and clearing those they say can fly safely.The main concern, which has not happened, was that the entire airline industry would be forced to stop flying. Many doubt that the 5G-jamming claims, saying that 5G has been deployed worldwide with no problem. However, 5G networks in the U.S. do not work as they work in other countries.
Europe and other countries have rolled out 5G without any problem. But the networks they use are different from those used in the U.S. The FAA explains that there are many
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