5G, which is still in the process to launch in India, has already arrived in countries such as the United States (U.S.). Many locations of the U.S. already have live 5G networks and coverage. But the airlines are worried about the threats that 5G bring to the table. According to a Reuters report, major U.S. airlines have said that 5G should be avoided in the C-Band spectrum. For the unaware, the C-Band spectrum is airwaves in the 4 GHz to 8 GHz. The airlines are worried about the delays that this will cause and the cost that it will unearth for both the air carriers and the passengers.
U.S. Telecom Companies Must Avoid Launching 5G Services in C-Band Spectrum
Scott Kirby, Chief Executive, United Airlines (UAL.O), said during a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing that Verizon and AT&T must not launch 5G services in the C-Band spectrum right now. Kirby said that the launch of 5G in the C-Band spectrum could result in the diversion or cancellation of about 4% of daily flights, which will impact hundreds of thousands of passengers. It is worth noting that both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. government have raised concerns regarding 5G potentially interfering with the radios on the aircraft. According to Kirby, the launch of 5G services using the C-Band spectrum would be a catastrophic failure of the government. The United Airlines CEO didn’t waste time and said that this is not a debate but a certainty. If the 5G services using the C-Band spectrum is launched, it will result in delays or cancellation of multiple flights every single day, and that would be a significant setback for the entire travel and tourism industry as well as the airline sector. But then there is CTIA, a wireless trade group that says the aviation industry’s fear about 5G is completely based on discredited information and that there are already countries with live 5G networks operating flights smoothly.
