5G C band improvements in the cellular industry are still pending issues. In a standoff pitting Verizon, AT&T, and the FCC against the FAA and the airline industry over the two carriers’ plans to augment their 5G wireless service using a new C-band spectrum. The mobile companies have now announced that they have reached an agreement with the Department of Transportation. Resultantly, they will postpone their rollouts.
Verizon confirmed that they have agreed to a two-week delay. They ensure that our game-changing 5G network will be available in January, supplied over America’s greatest and most reliable network, AT&T.
The cellular company has voluntarily consented to a two-week delay in the deployment of C-Band 5G services. This voluntary response appeared at Secretary Buttigieg’s request. They also intend to follow through on the six-month protection zone mitigations we proposed in our letter. Furthermore, they are optimistic that aircraft safety and 5G can coexist. More collaboration and technical examination will resolve any difficulties.
The carriers appeared to back off of language included in a letter issued from their separate CEOs to US Transportation Secretary and FAA Administrator over the weekend. That first opposed the proposal in remarks emailed to The Hamden Journal on Monday night.
They stated in that letter that they would not agree to the FAA and DOT’s request to delay their C-band spectrum upgrades for another two weeks. Furthermore, they cited alternative mitigations such as constructing a buffer zone surrounding airports and lowering power levels across the country.
Joined Letter’s Wording from AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg
Accepting your proposal would be an irresponsible abandonment of the operating control. This control is required to deploy international and globally competitive communications networks. That is just as important to our country’s economic vitality, public safety, and economic vitality.
Concerns related to 5G C band Improvements
According to the FAA, there are concerns about these 5G C spectrum improvements. The 5G signal could interfere with the accuracy of an airplane’s radio altimeter. if other mitigations are not in place. These altimeters are critical for automatic landings. Moreover, the FAA says that implementing the adjustments will cause disruptions in air traffic and compromise safety.
An FCC auction earlier this year awarded the two carriers the rights to utilize so-called “C-band” frequencies for over $70 billion. Moreover, Verizon and AT&T are anxious to deploy it so that, in addition to providing ultra-fast 5G connection in some places using high-band millimeter-wave technology and much slower 5G over low-band frequencies. The additional spectrum will give in-between performance over a far larger region. T-Mobile now uses spectrum in the mid-band, not in the C-band.
