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FAA To Take Regulatory Action Over 5G Altimeter Interference
The FAA plans to issue a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin and an Airworthiness Directive in coming days concerning the rollout of 5G cellular phone service in 46 major metropolitan areas of the U.S. on Dec. 5, according to Reuters. (www.avweb.com) Mais...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
When any industry decides to implement new technology it should be that industries responsibility to ensure it is safe to use that technology without interfering with others. The telecome industry should be responsible for keeping their equipment from interfering with others not the other way around.
It’s pretty simple really. Cheaply designed and constructed equipment will cause or receive interference. Well designed and constructed equipment will not receive nor cause interference. It’s the job of the FAA to insure that the equipment used aboard airplanes is well designed and constructed. It’s the job of the FCC to insure that each user of spectrum can function without interference. Although, the numbers don’t show it, there’s a large amount of spectrum between those two services. We’re talking billions of cycles per second here. Also, mobile telephone systems are designed to work toward the ground rather than up into the air where the telephone signals are basically useless.
There are a lot of aircraft with equipment that was more then adequate at the time of manufacturing. But now your expecting the owners of these aircraft to invest in newer and much more expensive equipment because some multi billion dollar telecoms isn’t willing to make their equipment safe for the aircraft industry. It should be up to the telecom companies installing their new equipment to ensure it doesn’t interfere with existing equipment in other industries.
I used to think that too but then the telephone calls from United Flight 93 on 9/11 changed my mind about how and where mobile phones work.
It is indisputable that calls were made from United 93 on 9/11 and this was documented by the FBI.
GTE Airfone systems were common then. Of the 37 phone calls placed from flight 93, 35 were placed on the Airfone system. This was traceable not only to the particular aircraft, but to a specific phone in a specific row on that aircraft. In 2001,
the dominant (but declining) cell phone system was the analog AMPS system at 850 MHz with up to 3 watts transmission power on the mobile side. The AMPS system had far greater range than today’s digital systems. The range on the ground was up to 25 miles. At altitude, this range is enhanced.
Digital cell systems can detect if your cell phone seems to be in an aircraft and will restrict your use of the cell phone in order to avoid cascading interference with cell phones on the ground. In 2001, this block did not exist for the AMPS system.
For those reasons phone calls were possible from Flight 93 but would not be possible today.
GTE Airfone systems were common then. Of the 37 phone calls placed from flight 93, 35 were placed on the Airfone system. This was traceable not only to the particular aircraft, but to a specific phone in a specific row on that aircraft. In 2001,
the dominant (but declining) cell phone system was the analog AMPS system at 850 MHz with up to 3 watts transmission power on the mobile side. The AMPS system had far greater range than today’s digital systems. The range on the ground was up to 25 miles. At altitude, this range is enhanced.
Digital cell systems can detect if your cell phone seems to be in an aircraft and will restrict your use of the cell phone in order to avoid cascading interference with cell phones on the ground. In 2001, this block did not exist for the AMPS system.
For those reasons phone calls were possible from Flight 93 but would not be possible today.
This isn't about phones on planes, rather 5G phone towers interfering with altimeters of planes landing or taking off.
Well you should reevaluate that opinion my friend. Phones wouldn’t work that high in 2001 just a little idea of where I’m going with this comment. It wasn’t possible. The truth is, the technology to transmit cell phone signals from an airplane didn’t exist til 2003, when Qualcomm developed their patented 3G technology. The first CDMA test call was made in 2004 aboard an American Airlines MD-80 aircraft flying over Dallas. It was made by Qualcomm’s CEO to demonstrate the new 3G technology, with special permissions granted by the FAA.
Back in those days, Airfones were on board many planes, often in convenient seat back locations. Reports based on FBI information show 35 calls were placed from Airfones on that flight.
Cell phone technology was not yet available nor needed.
Cell phone technology was not yet available nor needed.
Roger that. I was basing my opinion on that movie "Flight 93" that portrayed some of the calls being originated on cellular/mobile phones. It wouldn't be the first time that Hollywood got the facts wrong.