Verizon Delays 5G Rollout Again Amid Safety Concerns At Airports
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Verizon is holding off on launching their 5G wideband network to 90 million Americans that was designed to improve reliability and speed to homes and businesses.
"This is management by crisis," said Juan Browne, a pilot.
Browne has been flying for commercial airlines for 23 years. He doesn't mince words when it comes to the rollout of the 5G network.
"Had we just done a little better coordination ahead of time, we wouldn't have to have it come down like this," he said.
His biggest concern is how the 5G network will interfere with radio altimeters - instruments that work on radio frequency. They determine the altitude of the aircraft during landing. It's crucial in foggy conditions, which often occur at Sacramento International Airport.
Tuesday morning, before the rollout was postponed again, the air aviation alerts said this: "If the weather drops below one-half mile of visibility at any of these airports across the country, the metal is not going to move. Airlines are not going to be able to operate out of those airports."
Sacramento County airport officials say they have continued to monitor the government and wireless carriers' work on understanding the impact of 5G.
Verizon took it one step further, saying:
"We have voluntarily decided to limit our 5G network around airports. The Federal Aviation Administration and our nation's airlines have not been able to fully resolve navigating 5G around airports, despite it being safe and fully operational in more than 40 other countries."
By Tuesday afternoon, telecom industries agreed to delay the 5G rollout. Those aviation alerts were canceled, but Browne says all of this confusion could have been averted by the FCC and FAA.
And by this afternoon, telecom industries agreed to delay the 5G rollout. Those aviation alerts were canceled, but Browne says all of this confusion could have by FCC and FAA.
"We should have had this coordinated better with the 5G industry to provide a corridor of reduced power along the final approach course for these aircraft."
When the rollout does start, eight California airports will have one-mile buffer zones around them - including LAX and SFO.
"What we don't know yet is how capable are these radio altimeters from weeding out this interference of the new 5G frequencies that the FCC auctioned off for billions of dollars," said Browne.
Industry experts say it will be a couple of years to improve the radio altimeters to better handle potential interference problems from the 5g network