The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing to require passenger and cargo aircraft to install technologies to prevent 5G networks from disrupting air traffic monitoring and navigation, Reuters reported Monday.
In a notice issued Monday, FAA said that plane carriers must have 5G C-Band-tolerant radio altimeters or filters approved by the agency by Feb. 1, 2024, amid increasing incidents of inaccurate data reporting by aircraft navigation equipment at U.S. airports.
FAA implemented in December 2021 a directive that bans cargo and passenger flight operations near 5G wireless transmitters if they do not have the agency’s authorization. To give airlines time to retrofit their vessels against interference, Verizon and AT&T volunteered to postpone “some usage” of their C-Band 5G service until July 2023, according to Reuters.
The new directive would require radio altimeters as well as revisions to flight manuals, to indicate that non-retrofitted planes are prohibited from making low-visibility landings.
Trade group Airlines for America responded that the U.S. government should take into consideration that global supply chain delays are making it difficult for companies to complete their upgrades.
