The federal government, chaired by Joe Biden, assured this Tuesday that it is “actively” mediating in the dispute between the airlines and the telephone companies over the imminent launch of the 5G wireless service for cell phones, given the possibility that thousands of flights will be canceled in the next few hours for security reasons due to the impact of the new service, according to the Reuters news agency.
The White House wants "a solution that maximizes the deployment of 5G with the protection of aviation security and minimal interruptions to passenger and freight traffic, and economic recovery," according to an official quoted by the agency.
AT&T and Verizon bought a band of radio spectrum at an auction last year for $80 billion to launch this new phone service, which offers faster connection to its customers.
On January 3, they agreed to disconnect the service in the area surrounding the 50 main airports, and also delayed the deployment in the rest of the country for two weeks, which ends this Wednesday.
But the government and the airlines are pressing for more time to assess the risk.
On Monday, January 3, AT&T and Verizon said they will delay the activation of the new 5G wireless service for two weeks after a request from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.Kathy Willens / AP
Those responsible for the country's main airlines have warned that the interference of the new telephone services with a key instrument on planes
is worse than originally thought
, and they asked last Sunday that 5G not be launched in an area of two miles (3.2 km) around airport runways.
[5G expansion continues after two-week delay]
The new high-speed 5G service
uses a segment of the radio spectrum close to that used by altimeters
, which measure the altitude of aircraft.
These are the keys to the conflict:
Which side is the government on?
The White House wants "a solution that maximizes 5G deployment while protecting aviation safety and minimizing disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations and our economic recovery," an official told Reuters on Tuesday.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which manages radio networks, initially determined that the so-called Band C for the new wireless service
could be used safely in the vicinity of air traffic
.
In 2020, the FCC established a barrier between the 5G band and the spectrum used by aircraft altimeters to avoid security issues.
But the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, and the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Stephen Dickson, detected a possible problem and last Friday
asked AT&T and Verizon to postpone the activation of 5G
near “priority airports”. to do new security analyses.
How did AT&T and Verizon respond?
Phone companies downplayed those concerns.
The wireless industry trade group (CTIA) said that
around 40 countries have implemented 5G C-band with
no reports of harmful interference with aircraft instruments.
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AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg have offered to reduce the power of their 5G networks near airports, as has been done in France.
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“
The laws of physics are the same in the United States and France
,” Stankey and Vestberg said in a letter sent Sunday to the federal government, “if US airlines are allowed to operate flights every day in France, the same conditions operations should allow them to do it in the US.
While taking steps to reassure federal officials, telcos are still arguing with airlines, already in trouble after canceling more than 10,000 flights in the United States since Christmas due to bad weather and COVID-induced labor shortages. -19.
"The airline industry faces many challenges, but 5G is not one of them," Verizon's chief executive said Tuesday.
How many planes does this affect?
The FAA will conduct a study to find out, allowing planes with accurate and reliable altimeters to operate near high-power 5G networks.
But aircraft with older altimeters will not be able to make landings in low visibility conditions.
[A cell phone catches fire on a plane and forces an evacuation]
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What will happen in the coming weeks?
AT&T and Verizon
will be able to launch C-band service this Wednesday with licenses already granted by the FCC
.
The companies also agreed to establish a protection zone in 50 airports
until July 5 while the federal government carries out the necessary analyzes for additional measures.
Through July, carriers will negotiate with the FAA and airlines on possible long-term measures
regarding 5G service near airports.
However, under the terms of the agreement with the FAA, AT&T and Verizon will have sole power to decide whether to make service changes.
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"We felt it was the right thing to do for the flying public, which includes our customers and all of us, to give the FAA some time to resolve their issues and prevent further inconvenience to passengers with flights and delays," said CEO from Verizon in a memo.
Nicholas Calio, president of the airline trade group, commented less on the deal but thanked the federal government for reaching common ground with AT&T and Verizon.
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“Safety is and always will be the top priority for US airlines.
We will continue to work with all stakeholders to help ensure that the new 5G service can safely co-exist with aviation,” said Calio.