Aerospace companies, Airbus and Boeing, have urged the United States (US) government to delay the deployment of 5G networks. Because, 5G can jeopardize flight safety. How come?
Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun and Airbus America CEO Jeffrey Knittel, have sent a letter of protest directly to US President Joe Biden.
In the letter, the two aerospace giants asked Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg to temporarily halt the expansion of 5G coverage by mobile operators AT&T and Verizon.
"5G interference could adversely affect the aircraft's ability to operate safely. It would have a very large negative impact on the aviation industry," said Airbus and Boeing's protest letter, quoted by Reuters on Friday (12/24/2021).
Citing analysis from trade group Airlines for America (A4A) that if the FAA 5G goes into effect in 2019, it could result in 345,000 passenger flights and 5,400 cargo flights facing delays, diversions or cancellations.
The US Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised concerns about the potential for 5G interference with sensitive aircraft electronics, such as radio altimeters.
This month, the FAA issued a warning that 5G disruption could result in flights. Meanwhile, since November, AT&T and Verizon have postponed the commercial launch of C-band wireless services until January 5, 2022. On the other hand, they have taken steps to prevent 5G signal interference from flights.
Aviation industry groups have revealed that a letter protesting the delay in deploying 5G is still not enough. Boeing and Airbus said they would limit mobile transmissions around airports and other critical areas.
To date, the US government has not responded to protest letters from Airbus and Boeing regarding the deployment of 5G networks.