The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its list of 50 airports that will deploy 5G buffer zones to prevent C-Band interference. The buffer zones come as a compromise between regulators and telecom firms.
The FAA's list includes major U.S. hubs such as John F Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in New York, O'Hare Airport in Illinois, and Dallas Love Field in Texas. According to the agency, traffic volumes and visibility difficulties were among the major factors driving their decisions.
The coming nationwide rollout of 5G networks across the United States has prompted concern by airlines and industry advocacy groups over potential interference. Already, telecom firms and regulators have clashed over possible interference.
AT&T
"[The current] approach, which is one of the most conservative in the world, would include extensive exclusion zones around the runways at certain airports," the companies wrote in response to the FAA. "The effect would be to further reduce C-Band signal levels by at least 10 times on the runway or during the last mile of final approach and the first mile after takeoff."
Despite their initial rejection of the request, the firms would later meet regulators at the bargaining table. After revisiting the issue, AT&T and Verizon pushed the 5G rollout to January 15 and agreed to limit transmissions around the FAA's chosen airports.
The compromise may help prevent a surge of mass cancellations. Many airlines are still attempting to recover from a rough holiday travel season marred by mass cancellations and grueling delays. Concerns over C-Band interference had prompted airlines to warn of further cancellations as flight schedules adapted to the initial 5G rollout.
