AT&T, Verizon agree to new precautions to address 5G air safety concerns

AT&T and Verizon Communications Wednesday agreed to adopt new precautionary measures to address air safety concerns raised from the planned use of C-Band spectrum for 5G wireless. The FAA and the aviation industry have raised concerns about potential interference caused by the 5G deployment with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters.AT&T and Verizon said they had committed for six months to take "additional steps to minimize energy coming from 5G base stations – both nationwide and to an even greater degree around public airports and heliports," and said that should address altimeter concerns. Earlier this month, AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay commercial launch of C-band wireless service until Jan. 5 after the FAA issued a Nov. 2 bulletin warning that action may be needed to address the potential interference caused by the 5G deployment. The FAA said Wednesday it would review the telecoms proposal, calling it "an important and encouraging step... The FAA believes that aviation and 5G C-band wireless service can safely co-exist." The FCC said "these technical mitigations represent one of the most comprehensive efforts in the world to safeguard aviation technologies." The FAA may issue an emergency directive to airlines by early December, and two House Democrats warned it could include "draconian but necessary restrictions on many types of critical flight operations."<br/>