In News

The much-awaited introduction of 5G services in the US hit a major snag this week after the country’s leading airlines warned of massive flight disruptions if the wireless technology was put into operation, especially around the nation’s airports.

Problems associated with 5G technology in India

• Aircraft makers have flagged that accurate functioning of radar altimeters in some aircraft may be affected by the 5G radio frequencies.
• The altimeters provide information on an aircraft’s altitude and are a crucial part of flight operations for pilots, particularly while seeking to make low-visibility landings in inclement weather.
• Both the 5G services and some flight equipment operate on the same C-band radio spectrum, with only the frequencies varying.

Position of 5G in other countries

• South Korea, China and Japan and several European nations have already successfully rolled out 5G services and the U.S. telcos have cited the lack of problems in these jurisdictions as evidence that the FAA and airlines need to do more to find solutions to the deployment of the wireless technology near airports.
• The aviation regulator contends planned buffer zones for U.S. airports only protect the last 20 seconds of flight, while in France the last 96 seconds of flight are protected from any interruption from 5G signals.

Lessons for India

• 5G power levels are lower in France, with even the planned temporary nationwide lower power levels in the U.S. still expected to be 2.5 times more powerful.
• It must not interfere with the frequencies used for Air-services communication or defence communication.