HIGHLIGHTES

AT&T and Verizon agreed to take steps comparable to those used in France.

President Biden praised a settlement between cellphone providers and federal authorities in the United States.

Almost all of the C-Band spectrum was awarded to AT&T and Verizon.

WHY IN NEWS

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued additional cautions on Thursday that future 5G wireless service might potentially delay flights, citing 'significant disparities' between US and French aviation rules. The FAA published a dedicated webpage on 5G and aviation safety late Thursday, highlighting concerns about the impact on delicate Aero plane equipment such as altimeters. AT&T and Verizon agreed last week to take comparable steps to those taken in France. The carriers said on Monday that they would suspend using C-Band spectrum for cellular service until January 19 in order to avoid an aviation safety issue and flight interruptions.

President Joe Biden praised the pact between telecom operators and US regulators on Tuesday, saying it will allow 5G rollout in two weeks. The FAA stated that the delay will let it to study measures to reduce altimeter interruptions while also giving businesses additional time to prepare. According to the FAA, France's 5G airport buffer zones span '96 seconds of flight,' whereas safety procedures surrounding US airports 'only safeguard the last 20 seconds of flight.' The temporary decreased power levels in the United States will be 2.5 times greater than in France, according to the report. It was pointed out that France mandates antennas to be inclined downward to reduce harmful interference, while the US does not.

'If there is a risk to the flying public, we are required to halt the operation until we can verify it is safe,' according to the FAA website. 'To fly into these airports, radar altimeters must be proved safe in the entire US 5G environment, thus we must account for the increasing signal intensity when analysing safety and risk.' Last year, AT&T and Verizon secured virtually all of the C-Band spectrum in an auction worth $80-billion (approximately Rs. 5,94,215 crore). The FAA issued an advisory in early November warning that action may be required to address possible 5G interference, prompting the carriers to agree to postpone deployment for 30 days, until January 5.

The pact AT&T and Verizon were guaranteed on Monday that they would be allowed to begin service this month, and they agreed to set up temporary buffer zones around 50 airports, which the FAA will select by Friday. Because 'wireless carriers only committed to 50 airports,' according to the FAA website, 50 airports are protected. AT&T and Verizon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. After January 19, Biden stated, the deal 'puts us on pace to dramatically decrease delays to aviation operations.' 'Even with the interim buffer surrounding 50 airports,' according to the FAA, '5G deployment will increase the potential of interruption during low visibility,' such as 'flight cancellations, redirected flights, and delays during periods of low visibility.'During the two-week wait, the FAA is working 'to complete assessments of the most common altimeters, allowing some aircraft to fly in 5G and minimising interruptions,' according to the agency.