U.S. communication giants Verizon and AT&T have said they will not turn on some 5G wireless towers until next summer that are near airports to give airlines more time to make sure they won't alter or affect aircraft.
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on Friday the firms had agreed to the delay in switching on some of their C-Band equipment because aircraft use C-Band in their radio altimeters — devices used to measure a plane’s height above the ground, which play a critical role when coming into land on fial approach and in bad weather.
According to reports, the aircraft most suspectable to disruption would be the smaller, regional type of aircraft, which should be fitted with new modifications or new altimeters before the end of this year. Large aircraft will have up until the end of July next year to be modified.
However, many pilots and associations don’t believe they have been given enough notice to make changes, with the Airline for America issuing the warning that safety is jeopardized “by the rushed approach to avionics modifications amid pressure from the telecommunications companies.”
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