Why 5G Has Airlines So Spooked

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning that travel early next year could be disrupted by the latest 5G expansion, though the telecommunications industry has pushed back against those claims.

The agency first warned about potential issues in a November bulletin, explaining their concerns that the frequencies utilized for this updated 5G service have the potential to impact an aircraft instrument called the radio altimeter. These sensors, which measure a plane’s height above the ground, are critical in guiding pilots during landings.

On the other side of this issue, CTIA, the lobbying group representing the wireless industry, refuted some of those claims in an electronic filing sent to the FAA. The CTIA called such analysis of the 5G operations “flawed” and said nearly 40 other countries are already using this spectrum without issue, including Japan and Denmark.

“In some of these countries, 5G signals operate in the spectrum adjacent to aviation equipment. U.S. airlines fly in and out of these countries every day. If interference were possible, we would have seen it long before now,” said CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker.

A spokesperson for the FAA told Popular Science that wireless companies in those other countries have had to take mitigating steps to address any issues, such as turning down power levels or changing antenna directions.

In response to the agency’s November bulletin, Verizon and AT&T pushed back their 5G launch plans to January and agreed to reduce power levels from cell towers using this spectrum for six months while monitoring the change, according to CNET.

However, the FAA issued additional directives earlier this month outlining potentially more restrictive measures, including limiting the use of radio altimeters at certain airports where the technology could be deemed unreliable due to 5G interference. And, the FAA is expected to issue more specific warnings and restrictions ahead of the anticipated 5G update, currently slated for January 5 in 46 metropolitan areas.

Regulators from the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are currently weighing proposals from the telecommunications and aviation industries to find a compromise that will allow for the 5G expansion without impacting the safety or operations of airlines. That includes considering 5G “buffer zones” around airports.

In the meantime, airlines themselves have been predicting turbulence. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby anticipates about 4 percent of the airline’s daily flights could be diverted or cancelled if the current FAA guidelines are imposed and the 5G update takes place as planned. That includes flights from some of the largest airports in the country, Kirby said. It could also leave some pilots unable to utilize radio altimeters in low-visibility landings.

A coalition of aviation industry groups including the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a joint statement urging “meaningful discussion” among regulators as January approaches.

“Time is running out before millions of air travelers and the shipping public experience significant disruptions such as flight delays, flight cancelations and backups to the already-stressed supply chain,” the statement reads. “We implore the FCC, FAA and NEC [National Economic Council] to continue meaningful discussions in good faith and to identify mitigations and reach a successful implementation plan that will ensure new 5G technologies can safely co-exist with the aviation industry.”

Credit: popsci.com

5G Isn't Really Ready

From more durable displays to improved cameras and a new, more refined style, Apple’s latest iPhones sure seem impressive at first blush. But it’s the inclusion of 5G cellular technology, which promises far faster upload and download speeds than current 4G LTE connections, that makes these iPhones stand out.

5G is the first new cellular specification to hit the iPhone since the iPhone 5 got 4G in 2013. The big carriers say 5G will lead to life-altering advancements ranging from truly immersive virtual reality to self-driving cars interfacing with road signs and even traffic lights. But for all of the promise 5G offers, the networks and apps just aren’t there yet.

That’s because 5G is still in its early stages. And that could leave new iPhone users let down when they take their slick new phones out of the box.

The Big Three U.S. carriers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have been talking up 5G for years as the next big thing, promising huge advancements in the mobile landscape on par with how 4G opened up whole new sectors of the economy, including food order apps and ride hailing services.

But, and this is a big but, 5G has little to show users outside of, well, faster download and upload speeds and reduced latency and bandwidth. When used in the right scenario, that will unlock new ways of using our smartphones.

Remember, we wouldn’t have apps like Spotify or GrubHub or Instagram without 4G LTE. 3G networks were simply too slow to handle the immense demands the software required.

And like 4G LTE, 5G will provide users with far better overall performance including seriously impressive upload and download speeds and greater bandwidth. That means you’ll be able to download movies and music faster with no delay even in an incredibly crowded area.

Current iPhones get download speeds as high as 175 megabits per second over 4G LTE. The iPhone 12 though, will get 4 gigabits per second in ideal situations, and 1 gigabit per second in normal use.

But our current apps are optimized for 4G LTE. They’re not built around the capabilities offered by 5G. Which means you’re not going to see many apps that take advantage of those increased speeds and reduced latency. Sure, you’ll be able to stream movies, but you can do that over 4G LTE and WiFi. And yeah, you’ll be able to download albums off of Spotify, but you can already do that in less than a minute or two with ease.

In other words, when you get your shiny new iPhone, or any 5G phone really, don’t expect your world to change overnight. The apps that actually require such speeds haven’t been created just yet. When will they finally hit the market? It’s not entirely clear.

The iPhone 12 will certainly be the catalyst that gets developers to start working on 5G apps if they haven’t been already. That’s because developers know Apple users are more willing to spend money on apps, and so with the iPhone finally getting 5G, they now have a greater incentive to create such apps that take advantage of Apple’s latest and greatest offering.

In the next year or two we’ll start to see apps that truly need 5G to function properly.

Once it is fully operational, 5G will largely benefit grander technological movements more than the latest apps, though. Think networks of self-driving cars or real-time remote surgeries. 5G will certainly help make consuming and creating content faster and easier, but its promises are far greater than that.

Leaving apps aside, it’s important to recognize that 5G technology still isn’t as ubiquitous as current 4G LTE networks. T-Mobile boasts it has the largest nationwide 5G network, and according to its coverage map, it certainly looks like it does. But there are still plenty of areas across the country that its 5G network doesn’t reach.

AT&T’s map has even larger gaps in 5G coverage, leaving out entire swaths of states. And Verizon, which turned on its national 5G network to coincide with the iPhone 12 announcement, covers even less than that. Despite those gaps, you’d think from all of the carriers’ commercials that 5G covers everything the light touches.

There’s no doubt that each of the carriers will continue to build out their 5G networks until they blanket the country as much as their 4G LTE networks do. But at the moment, there’s no guarantee that your brand-new 5G iPhone will have a readily available 5G connection.

None of that necessarily means you should avoid getting a 5G iPhone. By all means, if you’re thinking of upgrading, go for it. The phone itself promises myriad improvements outside of its new cellular connection.

What’s more, getting a 5G phone now means that when we begin to see apps that take advantage of those high speeds and 5G networks expand to more regions, you’ll be ahead of the game.

Just don’t expect to get all of those benefits carriers have promised the minute you take your phone out of the box. Because, 5G isn't really ready.

Credit: finance.yahoo.com

Also: Tests indicated that the iPhone 12 battery dies two hours sooner when connected to a 5G network. And, 5G requires the cell towers to be closer together because the shorter wavelength signal doesn't travel as far. So, if you are in an area with a weak 4G LTE signal and have to stand outside to use your cellphone now, you probably won't even get a 5G signal without more towers being erected.