London/Paris (CNN Business) Major international airlines are canceling flights to the United States, citing airline industry concerns that 5G technology could interfere with critical in-flight equipment.
But this is business as usual in Europe, where the latest generation of high-speed mobile networks is being rolled out without a hitch.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) told CNN Business on Wednesday that “technical data received from EU manufacturers does not provide conclusive evidence of any pressing safety concerns at this time.”
The regulator, which oversees civil aviation in 31 European countries, added: “At this time, EASA is not aware of any operational incidents caused by 5G interference.”
The situation is much the same in the UK, where the Civil Aviation Authority issued a safety notice on Tuesday saying there were “no known instances of 5G interference causing malfunction or unexpected operation of aircraft systems”.
The lack of vigilance in Europe is in stark contrast to the United States, where airlines have warned that the expansion of ultra-fast 5G mobile services without additional safeguards would have a devastating impact on airlines and the economy. . US airlines and aviation regulators have warned that 5G cellular antennas near airports could distort radar altimeter readings that tell pilots their distance from the ground.
“Despite any obstacles or interruptions, [radar altimeters] “…causing an accident with catastrophic consequences and multiple fatalities,” the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Federation of Airline Pilot Associations (IFALPA) said in 2020.
Why is there a potential problem in the US but not in Europe? It comes down to the technical details.
U.S. mobile carriers are rolling out 5G services in the radio spectrum in frequencies between 3.7 and 3.98 GHz. The companies paid the U.S. government $81 billion in 2021 for the right to use these frequencies, known as C-band. However, in Europe, 5G services use spectrum in the slower 3.4-3.8 GHz range.
The airline industry is concerned that U.S. 5G services are too close to the frequency band used by radar altimeters (4.2-4.4GHz). The industry says Europe will not face the same risks because there is a much larger buffer between radar altimetry and the spectrum used for 5G.
IATA and IFALPA said: “Without appropriate mitigation measures, this risk poses a risk to aviation operations not only in the United States but also in other regions where 5G networks are being deployed adjacent to the 4.2-4.4 GHz frequency band.” “This could have far-reaching implications.” said in their statement.
what france did
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there are other differences in how 5G is deployed. Some countries use lower power levels, restricting the placement of his 5G antennas near airfields and requiring antennas to be tilted downwards to limit potential interference with aircraft. there is.
In France – carriers such as AT&T (T) and verizon (VZ) As an example of how 5G and aviation can work together seamlessly, the height of a 5G antenna and the power of its signal will determine how close it can get to runways and aircraft flight paths, according to a technical note from the French National Frequency Agency. . (ANFR).
Antennas around France’s 17 major airports will also need to be tilted away from flight paths to minimize the risk of interference, Eric Fournier, the agency’s director of frequency planning and international affairs, told CNN. Told.
“We initially took very protective measures because we had very little information about the reality of the problem,” Fournier said.
France’s civil aviation authority told CNN on Wednesday that “no events have been recorded by French carriers in which 5G technology interferes with aircraft altimeters.”
The FAA is so concerned about the potential for altimeter interference that in December it banned pilots from using sensitive altimeters around airports where use is required under low visibility conditions. issued an emergency order. This rule prevents pilots from landing using instruments alone, which may prevent planes from reaching some airports in certain circumstances.
EASA acknowledged the FAA’s concerns in December, noting that the agency is “addressing situations unique to operations in U.S. airspace.” European regulators have told airlines to “consider exposing flight crew to unreliable radio altimeter scenarios” during training to ensure crew members are aware of “potential degradation of installed radio altimeter performance.” It was recommended that people be aware of this.
In the United States, disagreements over the risks posed by 5G have turned into a bitter public debate involving federal regulators, airlines and telecommunications companies. Major airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines (delay key) Emirates Airlines canceled flights to the United States due to the issue.
“We didn’t know how powerful the antennas in the United States were. [has] That’s double compared to what’s happening elsewhere. I didn’t know that the antenna itself was installed in a vertical position rather than a slightly diagonal position,” Emirates President Tim Clark told CNN Business on Wednesday.
“Therefore, we made the decision late last night to suspend all services until we have clarity,” he added.
AT&T and Verizon, which owns CNN’s parent company, announced Tuesday that they would delay 5G activation on some towers near certain airports. The deployment of wireless technology near major airports was scheduled for Wednesday.
“We are frustrated by the FAA’s inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done: safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting air service,” AT&T spokeswoman Megan Ketterer said in a statement. I request that it be introduced.”
— Chris Liakos contributed reporting.
