Re: What do you think about this airline vs 5G brouhaha?

[Mel Beckman <mel () beckman org>]

Shane,

Incorrect. Owning spectrum also includes the right to interference-free operation. And you imply that the FAA and 
airline industry has done nothing, when in reality it’s the FCC who has done nothing. the FAA sponsored extensive 
engineering tests that demonstrate the interference is a concern, and they notified all the parties well in advance. 
The fCC et al chose to do no research of their own, and are basing all their assumptions on operation in other 
countries, which even you must admit can’t really be congruent with the US.

-mel via cell

On Jan 18, 2022, at 2:01 PM, sronan () ronan-online com wrote:

 The thing is aviation DOESN’T own this spectrum, they just assumed it would always be unused. And they failed to 
mention it would be a problem during the last 5 years of discussion regarding the use of this spectrum.

Shane

On Jan 18, 2022, at 4:25 PM, Mel Beckman <mel () beckman org> wrote:



Michael,


Here’s a recent PCmag editorial on the subject, and it seems like many people want to put Internet speed above airline 
safety:


https://www.pcmag.com/news/faa-goes-in-hard-to-kill-mid-band-5g<https://www.pcmag.com/news/faa-goes-in-hard-to-kill-mid-band-5g?utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=E-mail&utm_content=replied-your-message&spot_im_redirect_source=email&spot_im_highlight_immediate=true&spot_im_reply_id=sp_K16VHJZS_072HRXmNRXaBpGnEYhzHF9p_c_226CAR9Wh7cKB5nT7ZEk9jsnt4P_r_23YHCX47igC6D698mkyoaTHv1ke&spot_im_content_id=sp_K16VHJZS_072HRXmNRXaBpGnEYhzHF9p&spot_im_content_type=conversation&utm_spot=sp_K16VHJZS>


This issue definitely impacts network operations for 5G providers, so makes sense to discuss here.


Here’s a comment from a friend of mine who has been both a network engineer and a pilot for United Airlines, posted on 
the article linked above:


“As a pilot, I can tell you that landing in instrument conditions is by far the most critical flight regime possible, 
during which the radar altimeter reports are a matter of life and death. There is no alternative technology, such as 
GPS, with the required accuracy and reliability, to provide approach guidance down to the runway in zero-zero weather, 
which is what the radar altimeter does.


The collective tech industry needs to admit that it made a huge blunder when it urged the FCC’s clueless Ajit Pai to 
“blow off” the clearly demonstrated FAA spectrum conflict. Sorry, passengers, but if you look out your window, you’ll 
see that aviation owns this spectrum and is entitled to interference-free operation. Replacing all radar altimeters 
isn’t going to happen in time for 5G anyway — it took more than ten years just to deploy anti-collision technology. So 
do what you should have done from the beginning: follow the FCC rules of non-interference to existing users, who have 
clear priority in this case.”


I tend to agree with him, and it looks like the 5G providers and FAA agreed last week to put some buffer safety zones 
around runway approaches at 50 major airports:


https://www.cnet.com/news/faa-lists-50-airports-getting-temporary-buffer-zones-blocking-new-5g-signals/<https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/faa-lists-50-airports-getting-temporary-buffer-zones-blocking-new-5g-signals/>


-mel

On Jan 18, 2022, at 12:33 PM, Michael Thomas <mike () mtcc com> wrote:


I really don't know anything about it. It seems really late to be having this fight now, right?

Mike