Could the FAA crash land into Verizon’s 5G dreams?
The Federal Aviation Administration may be preparing to issue a warning to pilots and airlines about potential interference from new midband 5G networks, according to a report. And that situation could create a potentially significant obstacle to Verizon’s overall hopes to dramatically improve its 5G network.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the nation’s federal aviation regulatory agency is drafting a special bulletin warning that 5G transmissions in C-band spectrum could interfere with the radio altimeters used in everything from helicopters to commercial aircraft.
However, according to the report, the draft has not yet been finalized. An FAA spokesperson told the publication that the agency is working with other government officials “so that aviation and the newest generation of 5G cellular technology can safely coexist.”
And an FCC spokesperson told the publication that the agency remains committed to ensuring air safety “while moving forward with the deployment of new technologies that support American business and consumer needs.”
Verizon’s C-band plan
Nonetheless, the possibility of a warning creates a major overhang for Verizon, which hopes to begin putting its vast C-band spectrum licenses to use as early as December. The company spent around $50 billion acquiring the licenses in an FCC auction earlier this year, and has committed another $10 billion toward equipment to put the licenses to use.
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