5G at Chinese Airports Amidst a Fierce Debate in the US

CAAC its plan of 5G at Chinese airports will proceed to shrug off-frequency interference concerns which have stirred chaos in the US.

Briefing on it, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on January 21 said that the country’s tech and innovation won’t jeopardize people’s safety and ensured that deploying 5G at airports won’t affect airplanes’ critical systems.

The officials told that Chinese operators will use a dedicated AeroMACS system for 5G at. Besides, the system will also work on specific frequencies and use separate base stations and other necessary technologies and won’t compromise the safety of airlines.

These comments come amidst a major battle that has ensued between operators and aviation bodies in the US who think the telcos’ use of C-band 5G will intrude into airplanes’ altimeters and threaten the safety of flights while landing.

The comment came after US telecom operators and airlines recently debated 5G deployments near airports, with the country’s major passenger and cargo airlines arguing that when new 5G services come online in the US, the C-band signals may interfere with sensitive instruments such as wireless services on some aircraft, which can seriously disrupt flight operations.

But the Chinese officials refuted any such security concerns and said the 5G network at Chinese airports will be independent of the 5G network deployed by operators.

5G at Chinese Airports not like in the US

Aviation 5G in China won’t be similar to the US, and our tech and innovations in civil aviation won’t come at the cost of compromising safety, Chen Xiangyang, a CAAC official said at the routine press meet on January 21.

In the US, the aviation experts warned that Verizon and AT & T’s C band frequency 3.7 – 3.98 GHz could seriously disrupt flight operations. Meanwhile, Chinese state-owned operators use mid-band frequencies from 2.6 – 4.9 MHz.

Learn more about 5G frequencies here: 5G Spectrum Bands: What Do High, Mid and Low Band Mean?

And the Chinese officials don’t accept any such concerns in their aviation 5G. Chen also said the 5G AeroMACS that will drive China’s dedicated aviation 5G is based on a separate civil aviation network and frequencies and that they will work entirely on their own parameters from commercial mobile networks.

CAAC released the action plan for the country’s civil aviation broadband network. According to it, the network will proceed in phases that involve setting up broadband systems at airports and air traffic control which will form a key ground for holistic civil aviation communications.

With US aviation in a hot debate over 5G frequencies, China says it will implement a dedicated network that will ensure the total safety of airplanes’ vital systems. Who do you think is to blame for the conflict in the US? Is it due to the lack of improper coordination between aviation bodies and operators or the lack of trials before proceeding? Do offer your inputs in the comments below.