Several airlines cancelling flights to the United States due to 5G

[Luke777]

How is the opinion about 5G ? As i read, only radio altimeter frequency is a bit close to 5G

[sdbelgium]

The B777 seems especially susceptible to the frequency interference from 5G on the radio altimeter system. Consequently, in addition to Emirates, JAL & ANA have cancelled a substantial amount of flights to the USA that are usually operated by T7 and for which there is no replacement B787.

The (delayed) rollout of 5G is happening today, and many airports have been imposed FAA restrictions. For example this NOTAM for JFK:

Code: Select all

KJFK-01/330
FROM:  19012022 0501
UNTIL: 19012024 0501

JFK AD AP RDO ALTIMETER UNREL. AUTOLAND, HUD TO TOUCHDOWN, ENHANCED FLT VISION SYSTEMS TO TOUCHDOWN, 
HEL OPS REQUIRING RDO ALLTIMETER DATA TO INCLUDE HOVER AUTOPILOT MODES AND CAT A/B/PERFORMANCE CLASS 
TKOF AND LDG NOT AUTHORIZED EXC FOR ACFT USING APPROVED ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE DUE TO 
5G C-BAND INTERFERENCE PLUS SEE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES 2021-23-12, 2021-23-13.

[luchtzak]

How is the opinion about 5G ? As i read, only radio altimeter frequency is a bit close to 5G

Not only Emirates, also Japan Airlines and ANA among others cancelling US flights due to 5G interference

[fcw]

How is the opinion about 5G ? As i read, only radio altimeter frequency is a bit close to 5G

Indeed, someone in the US approved the use of 5G is in the same frequency range as aircraft rad alts (4.2-4.4ghz).
It’s a US only problem though as in other countries different frequencies are used for mobile phones. (Remember the need for a dual band mobile phone when travelling to the States).

[Acid-drop]

They discover that 27 seconds before enabling it... thats cute.

[Luke777]

One will have to move a bit in frequency to create bigger (safe) gap between 5G freq and radio-altimeter, and i think it will not be the 5G industry...

[fcw]

One will have to move a bit in frequency to create bigger (safe) gap between 5G freq and radio-altimeter, and i think it will not be the 5G industry...

It has nothing to do with the “5G industry”, it’s the regulator who had to approve the frequencies.
5 G works perfectly on other frequencies in other parts of the world, probably easier said than done but the US “just” need to rearrange their frequency plan.

[Luke777]

USA Press: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has in turn said there should be a 200MHz guard band of spectrum between the C-band that 5G uses and the flight systems' band, which the FAA accepted at the time.
According to this line of thought, if this isn't sufficient, then aviators can pay for extra radio frequency filters that are capable of isolating signals from the right band, while blocking unwanted noise from other parts of the radio spectrum.

While this degree of bureaucratic capture by industries of the regulators is as age-old an American custom as baseball and apple pie, another difference between the US and Europe is the band in which 5G operates.
In the US, this is 3.7GHz to 3.98GHz, which sits just a little higher than the 3.4GHz to 3.8GHz 5G band in Europe, and thus bumps up slightly closer to the 4.2GHz to 4.4GHz altimeter band (which is the same in both places).
Also, Europe's bigger gap between altimeter and 5G bands means altimeter filters would work better at blocking errant protruding 5G signal