Keeping Up with 5G – Though Airlines Seek to Keep 5G Away

[Audio] Keeping Up with 5G – Though Airlines Seek to Keep 5G Away by Ramón DeShazer.

[Audio] Introduction & Background In the year of 2022, consumers expect for companies to keep up with the everchanging technology. For example, these technologies could include Artificial Intelligence ( AI), Robotic Process Automation ( RPA), Quantum Computing, and even Virtual and Augmented Reality. Our focus is on the technological advancement of 5G networking for cellular and on-the-go devices like tablets and laptops. Specifically, we will identify the causes of a current battle between the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) and the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC) of the United States due to the expected release of 5G across the United States..

[Audio] Innovation Opportunity & Operational Environment According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA), the U.S. Federal Communication Commission ( FCC) on January 19 " 5G services launched in 46 markets." The FAA has major concerns with the rollout of 5G services across the U.S. as cellular towers near U.S. airports could impact the instruments within airplanes for pilots to maintain accurate and reliable readings for safety and security. However, the FAA is more concerned with the potential impact those higher power levels and frequencies. The FAA says, " Safety is our mission, and it guides all our decisions. In the United States, 5G services launched in 46 markets on January 19, using frequencies in a radio spectrum called the C-band. These frequencies can be close to those used by radio altimeters, an important piece of safety equipment in aircraft. To make sure that this does not lead to hazardous interference, the FAA requires that radio altimeters are accurate and reliable.".

[Audio] Innovation Opportunity & Operational Environment, continued Some have questioned the FAA as to why they maintain a huge concern for the rollout, especially given countries like Japan and France have already deployed 5G with no issues. The FAA stated, "The U.S. airspace is the most complex in the world, and the FAA holds ourselves and our aviation sector to the highest safety standards. Deployments of 5G technology in other countries often involve different conditions than those proposed for the U.S., including lower power levels, antennas adjusted to reduce potential interference to flights, different placement of antennas relative to airfields, and frequencies with a different proximity to frequencies used by aviation equipment.".

[Audio] Innovation Opportunity & Operational Environment, continued In response, the FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Bulletin ( SAIB) to airlines and pilots to "be prepared for the possibility that interference from 5G transmitters and other technology could cause certain safety equipment to malfunction." Wheeler shared, "The spectrum used by aeronautical navigation systems as well as so-called C-band wireless are internationally allocated. On the spectrum allocation chart, the aeronautical frequency allocation runs between 4.2 and 4.4 gigahertz (GHz). One of the key uses of the aeronautical allocation is the transmission of information to and from aircraft altimeters, especially when they operate below 2500 feet, to facilitate computer-assisted landings. Next to that allocation is the C-band spectrum used for 5G. In the U.S., C-Band use is authorized for between 3.7 and 3.98 GHz. Wheeler goes on to say, "The importance of getting 5G up and running while protecting flyers is well known…The Biden administration has prided itself on being science-based. The science here is clear—it is hard to repeal the laws of physics… Let's hope this is more than a gambit to hold 5G hostage to get someone to pay to fix the problem altimeters.".

[Audio] Technological Integration The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum shared, "The first autopilots were used on airliners in the mid- 1930s. In the late 1950s, electronic computers became small enough to be used aboard aircraft. Sophisticated digital computers can now fly aircraft in virtually any situation, while ensuring that all systems are functioning properly. 'Fly-by-wire' technology translates the pilot's actions into electronic signals, which computers use to manipulate flight controls. The computers constantly monitor pilot input and prevent the aircraft from exceeding its flight envelope, thereby increasing safety. And because fly-by-wire replaces heavy, complex mechanical linkages with lighter electrical wires, it is more efficient. Invented by NASA in the 1970s and first used in fighter aircraft, this technology was a direct spin-off from the space program, which used fly-by-wire systems to maneuver the Apollo lunar module. In 1972, NASA research pilot Gary Krier became the first to fly a digital fly-by-wire aircraft when he piloted NASA's highly modified F- 8C Crusader jet fighter.".

[Audio] Technological Integration, continued The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum continues to say, "The Airbus A320 revolutionized commercial aviation by introducing digital fly-by-wire technology in civil airliners. Featuring a glass cockpit with a unique side-stick controller to fly the aircraft, the A320 set a new standard for safety and efficiency. Every new airliner designed since it entered service in 1988 has incorporated glass cockpit and fly-by-wire technology. A modern airliner typically features a "glass cockpit"-computer monitors that show flight, engine, and aircraft performance data in easily understood displays. A set of up to six computer monitors can replace hundreds of gauges and switches, greatly simplifying the tasks of the flight crew. Pioneered by NASA and the aerospace industry, the glass cockpit was introduced in 1982 and is now the industry standard.".

[Audio] Solution to Embrace & Summary The battle of avionics and 5G seems to be an unnecessary one as the FAA fails to meet the technological advances of today. The US President, Congress, and Americans should ensure the FAA uploads its pledge to develop new standards. We can only hope as 6G is already in development and 5G is already causing worries. 4G, 5G, and 6G and avionic technologies could be like cellular phones operations, specifically Apple products. After a certain number of years being on the market, Apple products can become obsolete where it cannot update, download new apps, or even run much slower due to the older operating system. It would not be surprising if aviation technologies were similar as they did operate on high frequency radios in the past..

[Audio] Works Cited. Works Cited. 5G and aviation safety. Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.faa.gov/5g Elon University. (n.d.). 1870s – 1940s: Telephone. Imagining the Internet | A History and Forecast. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.elon.edu/u/imagining/time-capsule/150-years/back-1870-1940/ The computer revolution in the Cockpit. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/jetage/jetage17.cfm Wheeler, T. (2021, November 22). Will 5G mean airplanes falling from the Sky? Brookings. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2021/11/22/will-5g-mean-airplanes-falling-from-the-sky/.