Jan 20 (Nikkei) - Airlines that had canceled U.S. flights over concerns about interference from 5G wireless signals are returning to their usual schedules after AT&T and Verizon Communications agreed to delay the start of service near airports.
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines are both set to resume normal flights Thursday, and Philippine Airlines said Wednesday that it plans to continue service as usual.
AT&T and Verizon agreed Tuesday to postpone rolling out 5G service near airports after airline CEOs warned of "significant operational disruption" from the expansion of 5G into a band of frequencies near those used by vital aviation systems.
Japan's ANA and JAL were among those that canceled flights as the Wednesday start date approached, along with Emirates and Air India. Major U.S. carriers did not announce any suspensions.
The turmoil affected not only passenger service, but also cargo flights, raising the stakes even higher. Japan's Nippon Cargo Airlines canceled two flights between Tokyo and Chicago. "Limited supply means that space is tight, and lead times may be longer than usual," a representative at a freight forwarder said.
The problem lies in the wireless companies' use of C-band frequencies for their new 5G networks. AT&T and Verizon together spent about $70 billion in an auction for C-band spectrum, which is seen as providing a good balance between coverage and data capacity.
Airlines have warned that 5G service in this band could interfere with the radio altimeters that gauge a plane's altitude. If pilots cannot rely on this equipment, "you could only do visual approaches essentially" in poor weather coming into major airports, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters last month.
...continue readingSource: ANNnewsCH
