AT&T, Verizon propose temporary 5G limits to address FAA concerns

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AT&T and Verizon on Wednesday agreed to limit certain 5G services for six months as federal regulators investigate concerns regarding signal interference with aircraft sensors.

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The changes, which will see a nationwide reduction in 5G signal transmission over the C-band spectrum, were detailed in a letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission, reports The Wall Street Journal. Additional precautions include tighter restrictions on power output near airports and helipads, modifications that should assuage concerns voiced by the Federal Aviation Administration.

"While we remain confident that 5G poses no risk to air safety, we are also sensitive to the Federal Aviation Administration's desire for additional analysis of this issue," the letter to FCC acting chair Jessica Rosenworcel reads.

In response, an FCC spokesperson said the proposed limitations "represent one of the most comprehensive efforts in the world to safeguard aviation technologies," adding that the agency will work with the FAA "so that 5G networks deploy both safely and swiftly," according to the report.

The wireless carriers agreed to the limitations for a period of six months "while additional evidence from radio altimeter manufacturers is evaluated," AT&T said in a statement, as reported by CNET.

Earlier in November, AT&T and Verizon agreed to postpone a planned 5G network rollout into January after FAA officials raised concerns over the C-band spectrum. Citing the signals' "potential adverse effects" on radar altimeters and other aircraft instruments, the agency was planning to issue a mandate restricting use of certain aviation systems.

The FAA's claims were disputed by trade bodies.

Together, U.S. wireless carriers spent more than $80 billion on C-band spectrum, with AT&T and Verizon heavily investing in licenses for their respective 5G networks. T-Mobile also purchased C-band licenses, but its 5G network is more reliant on the 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum and is not expected to be negatively impacted by the conflict.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    That’s it for me. Goodbye AT&T hello t-moble. Crappy overpriced service, sketchy 5g and now this.
    baconstang
  • Reply 2 of 7
    FAA is a fucking idiot. I’ve been wait for Verizon to add 5G for like 2-3 years. I’m tired of FAA bullshit. Look at other countries, they have no problem with 5G around the airports! I refused join T-Mobile AND AT&T. I prefer Verizon because their network and signal is more stronger and cover more area that AT&T and T-Mobile cannot. There’s 5G at like 10-15 miles from where I live! 6 months?! FML!! 
    12Strangers
  • Reply 3 of 7
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    What kind of discount is Verizon going to give us???? haha right
    jimdreamworx
  • Reply 4 of 7
    One would think that these issues would have been addressed BEFORE they sold the C-Band spectrum.

    The FCC has been hobbled since it was politicized over the so called "net neutrality" fiasco.
    But, the FAA hasn't been much better after it (and other federal regulatory agencies) were, over the past 2 decades, gutted with budget constraints in the rush to privatization -- promoted by the self-fulfilling prophecy of "government is evil -- corporations are good" bullshit.
    edited November 2021 muthuk_vanalingamllama12Strangers
  • Reply 5 of 7
    @GeorgeBMac you hit on a bull eye perfectly on a target circle! I agreed that they should investigate that C-Band spectrum with FAA BEFORE they sold it to carriers! BUT that fucking imbecile FAA should check with other foreigners that have this spectrum at their airports and that they don’t have any problem!! All I can say is, “FUCK YOU, FAA!!”

    One would think that these issues would have been addressed BEFORE they sold the C-Band spectrum.

    The FCC has been hobbled since it was politicized over the so called "net neutrality" fiasco.
    But, the FAA hasn't been much better after it (and other federal regulatory agencies) were, over the past 2 decades, gutted with budget constraints in the rush to privatization -- promoted by the self-fulfilling prophecy of "government is evil -- corporations are good" bullshit.

    12Strangers
  • Reply 6 of 7
    FAA is a fucking idiot. I’ve been wait for Verizon to add 5G for like 2-3 years. I’m tired of FAA bullshit. Look at other countries, they have no problem with 5G around the airports! I refused join T-Mobile AND AT&T. I prefer Verizon because their network and signal is more stronger and cover more area that AT&T and T-Mobile cannot. There’s 5G at like 10-15 miles from where I live! 6 months?! FML!! 
    Well, I’ve been on T-Mobile since 2013 and was satisfied with their coverage even back then—there were of course spots with no coverage, particularly in rural parts of Virginia, or central Pennsylvania, but I can recall other spots where T-Mobile had coverage but Verizon didn’t.

    But T-Mobile’s coverage has improved a lot since then and currently there isn’t anywhere I go where Verizon has coverage and T-Mobile doesn’t. And with T-Mobile’s 5G ‘UC’ I’ve gotten Speedtest results as high as 648Mbps on my iPhone 12 Pro in the suburbs. Not that I ever need that kind of speed, but T-Mobile is doing very well.
    edited November 2021 12StrangersGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 7 of 7
    Show me the use case, which includes a simple majority of users, that you need 100 megs or more on a mobile device?

    because i’ll take coverage over speed 100% of the time…. And T-Mobile cant touch Verizon on coverage.

    speaking from 25 years as a T-Mobile customer, before T-Mobile even existed.
    williamlondon
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