Aviation Industry Seeks 5G Deadline Extension

Supply chain issues have made it impossible for air carriers to meet retrofitting deadlines, a coalition of stakeholders told Federal officials.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, November 21, 2022 at 11:58 AM ET

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In January, wireless carriers began broadcasting in the 5G C-band to improve network speed. [File photo: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The aviation industry, citing supply chain challenges, is unable to meet deadlines for retrofitting aircraft to protect against 5G C-band interference and is requesting extensions until at least July 2023.
5G C-band signals can interfere with aircraft radio altimeters, posing a significant safety hazard, especially in low visibility, with over 100 FAA-documented incidents since January 2022.
A coalition of aviation stakeholders, including major manufacturers and airlines, warns of potential operational disruptions if U.S. government agencies do not align on resolving these safety issues.

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The end of the year brings the deadline for air carriers to retrofit their fleets to protect them from interference from 5G C-band wireless service. According to a coalition of top aviation stakeholders, however, supply chain challenges have made it impossible for the industry to meet that deadline.

The group of nearly two dozen aviation companies and organizations, which includes Embraer, Boeing, Airbus, and the International Air Transport Association, is asking for an extension of the December 2022 deadline for smaller regional aircraft and July 2023 for large transport aircraft.