FAA, telecoms agree on 5G deferral around 50 airports

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a list of 50 airports around which telecom operators AT&T and Verizon have agreed to defer the roll out of 5G broadband technology by six months so as to avoid disruption to aviation.

The airports were selected based on several criteria, including the proximity of 5G antennae, traffic, and the likelihood of low-visibility conditions. US airlines warned earlier that 5G transmissions would interfere with radio altimeters, thus obstructing precision approaches necessary during inclement weather. The industry estimated the cost of disruption at USD2 billion per year, including USD1.6 billion to passenger airlines and USD400 million to cargo carriers.

The list of airports where buffer zones with delayed 5G deployment will be established comprises the following facilities:

Austin Bergstrom Int’l
Bedford, MA
Seattle Boeing Field
Birmingham, AL
Nashville Int’l
Burbank
Akron/Canton
Charlotte Int’l
Dallas Love Field
Dallas/Fort Worth
Detroit Metropolitan
Houston Ellington
New York Newark
Fresno Yosemite
Fort Lauderdale Int’l
Flint
Houston Hobby
New Haven
Houston Intc’l
Indianapolis Int’l
Islip
New York JFK
Las Vegas Harry Reid
Los Angeles Int’l
New York La Guardia
Long Beach
Kansas City Int’l
Orlando Int’l
Harrisburg Int’l
Chicago Midway
McAllen
Miami Int’l
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Ontario
Chicago O’Hare
Everett
West Palm Beach Int’l
Philadelphia Int’l
Phoenix Sky Harbor
St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Pittsburgh Int’l
Raleigh/Durham
Rochester, NY
Seattle Tacoma Int’l
San Francisco, CA
San José, CA
Santa Ana, CA
St. Louis Lambert Int’l
Syracuse
Teterboro
The FAA underlined that other airports in the country are not located in a market where 5G is scheduled to be deployed or have no low-visibility landing procedures.

Following two delays and a heated debate with airlines, AT&T and Verizon are now planning to deploy their 5G band networks nationwide from January 19, 2022.

The airline industry has previously indicated that potential interference was a US-specific occurrence as the frequencies allocated in the country, as well as the power of the antennae, differed to those in other countries where the broadband technology is already active with no reported interference issues.