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Apparently, airlines have their corporate underwear in a knot about the 5G rollout.
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https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/1/12/22878622/5g-airplanes-c-band-interference-faa
Flight regulators are very nervous about this C-band update because of how it might affect certain aircraft’s radio altimeters. This device transmits radio waves from an airplane toward the ground in order to help measure a plane’s altitude. Altimeters are especially useful on a cloudy day or in a mountainous area, when pilots can’t see where they’re landing. The problem is altimeters rely on parts of the spectrum that neighbor the airwaves used by the C-band. In a nightmare scenario, the FAA thinks that signals sent over C-band could interfere with these altimeters — specifically older altimeters — creating a potential safety issue. Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission already determined that 5G would not pose a problem for modern altimeters, and similar 5G technology has already been deployed in Europe with no issue.
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It sounds like it is really borderline to me.
They are worried about the last 1 mile of the approach and landing.
I have never used a radio altimeter, I just look out the window. There is the ground.
But commercial planes have automation that calls out an altitude on approach 50 feet, 40 feet, 30 feet, 20 feet, 10 feet. I assume that is the radio altimeter at work.
And those guys can land in zero visibility. I can see why they would be touchy about it.
If it is being used safely in Europe, that is reason to think it will be no problem. But there is no way the FAA would sign off on it without doing a very methodical (slow) review of the systems involved. FAA inspectors spend a lot of time dealing with accidents and fatalities, they take their responsibility very seriously. I have worked with a few and they are definitely intelligent, thorough, go by-the-book kind of guys. Just what you want really.
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If it’s working in Europe my first guess would be the rollout involves the airlines spending money they don’t want to spend.
The telecom companies need to spend money to roll out 5G but they get to make money off of it later. For the airline it’s pure expense just to maintain an existing capability.
A fairly even-handed article on the issue:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/01/04/c-band-5g-airlines-telecoms/?sh=6c5d8dff5542 -
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission already determined that 5G would not pose a problem for modern altimeters
Well there ya go. No Problem, right. It has the blessing of a government agency.
You know, like the CDC/NIH says get the jab and you can't catch or transmit the Corona.
Government.... at your service.
Of course, just to be on the safe side, I won't be getting on any damn airplane in the foreseeable future.
We have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on. -
@improviso said in 5G?:
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission already determined that 5G would not pose a problem for modern altimeters
Well there ya go. No Problem, right. It has the blessing of a government agency.
You know, like the CDC/NIH says get the jab and you can't catch or transmit the Corona.
Government.... at your service.
Whom would you trust instead to say determine whether airplanes are safe to fly with 5G?
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@improviso said in 5G?:
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission already determined that 5G would not pose a problem for modern altimeters
Well there ya go. No Problem, right. It has the blessing of a government agency.
You know, like the CDC/NIH says get the jab and you can't catch or transmit the Corona.
Government.... at your service.
Whom would you trust instead to say determine whether airplanes are safe to fly with 5G?
According to reports I've heard, each aircraft altimeter needs to be checked to make sure that it's not affected by 5G. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 50% - 60% of aircraft have been certified to NOT be affected by this rollout.
This 5G rollout has been postponed 2 times already. The airline companies knew this was coming and failed to certify ALL their aircraft. Why, if they knew this was coming, were they so slow in certifying their aircraft altimeters? It's also my understanding (Copper, correct me if I'm wrong) that it's "older" altimeters that are of concern.
If airline companies had been more aggressive with certification, this would not even be an issue, particularly as they were given 2 delays.
If the companies have concerns, they can either update those altimeters to models that don't have a potential issue OR ground their aircraft of concern until they update them.
Now, you may argue that would cause a transportation nightmare, to which I say, so what. This is a problem of the airlines making and they should be the ones to rectify it. Will that cost them profits? Sure. So what. Jack up the fares to compensate. That will reduce demand and require fewer airplanes to service demand. When they get their aircraft certified, put them back in service and reduce the fares back to what they currently are. Yea... like that would happen, huh?
We have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on. -
@improviso said in 5G?:
Why, if they knew this was coming, were they so slow in certifying their aircraft altimeters?
You clearly don't work in product certification
