Will 5G networks pose a threat to aviation security?

China Airlines News Network News: According to Reuters reported on January 19, before the launch of 5G wireless networks, major international airlines have adjusted or cancelled flights to the United States. That raises security concerns, though wireless carriers say they will delay some of the deployment.

The FAA has warned that potential 5G interference could affect altitude readings from some aircraft. Airlines point to the Boeing 777 as one of the most talked-about aircraft.

Despite telecom operators Verizon and AT&T announcing that they will suspend the rollout of 5G near airports, several airlines have cancelled flights or changed aircraft types.

Here is the background to the controversy:

What happened?

In early 2021, the U.S. auctioned off mid-range 5G bandwidth in the C-band in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band to wireless carriers for about $80 billion.

Why is this a problem?

The FAA warned that new 5G technology could interfere with instruments such as altimeters that measure how far from the ground an aircraft is. The altimeter works in the 4.2-4.4GHz range, and the concern is that the frequency of auctions is too close to this range.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said last month that the FAA's 5G directive would ban the use of radio altimeters at about 40 of the nation's largest airports. American Airlines warned that the directive could disrupt up to 4 percent of daily flights. If the problem is not addressed, Kirby said, it could mean that in the event of bad weather, cloud cover or even severe smog at major U.S. airports, "basically only visually approaching the runway."

Which aircraft are affected?

Airlines including Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and Lufthansa announced plans to abandon the use of Boeing 777 and Boeing 747-8 aircraft.

How to solve it?

In the short term, Verizon and AT&T agreed to temporarily postpone the opening of some wireless towers near major airports to avoid significant disruption to U.S. flights. In the longer term, the FAA will need to approve and allow the vast majority of U.S. commercial aircraft to make low-visibility landings at many airports that will deploy 5G C-bands. This means that the altimeter needs to be certified to operate close to the 5G base station.

How are the frequencies different?

The higher the frequency in the spectrum, the faster it runs. Therefore, in order to take full advantage of 5G, operators want to operate at a higher frequency. Some of the C-band spectrum auctioned was once used for satellite radio, but the transition to 5G means there will be more traffic.

What do telcos say?

Verizon and AT&T believe that C-band 5G has been deployed in 40 other countries and regions without aviation interference problems. They agreed to build buffer zones similar to those at French airports at 50 U.S. airports for 6 months to reduce the risk of disruption.

Why isn't this a problem elsewhere?

The European Union set a 5G if frequency standard for 3.4 to 3.8 GHz in 2019, which is lower than the service that will be launched in the United States. The bandwidth has been auctioned off in Europe and used in many of the 27 member states of the European Union, and has so far had no problems.

On Dec. 17, the European Union's Aviation Safety Agency, which regulates 31 countries, said the issue was only directed at U.S. airspace. "At this stage, no risk of unsafe intervention was identified in Europe."

FAA officials noted that the spectrum used in France (3.6-3.8 GHz) is farther from the spectrum used in the United States for altimeters (4.2-4.4 GHz), and that the power level used in France for 5G is much lower than the power level authorized by the United States. Verizon has said it will not use bands closer to higher bands in the coming years.

In South Korea, the frequency of 5G mobile communication is 3.42 ~ 3.7 GHz, and since the commercial use of 5G in April 2019, there have been no reports of radio interference.

At present, the 5G mobile communication wireless station near the airport is in operation, but there are no reports of problems.

In a document submitted to the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. wireless trade group CTIA said, "Wireless carriers in nearly 40 countries across Europe and Asia now use the C-band of 5G, and there are no reports of an impact on radio altimeters operating in the internationally designated 4.2-4.4GHz band."