AP – United States (US) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned the nation’s airlines on Friday that flights could be disrupted starting next week because some planes lack updated equipment to prevent interference from transmissions by wireless companies.
Buttigieg said that only planes retrofitted with the right equipment will be allowed to land when visibility is poor, such as during bad weather.
The warning comes just before AT&T, Verizon and other wireless carriers will be free to boost the power of their C-Band, 5G signals on July 1.
Airlines have told the government they are having trouble getting equipment to retrofit planes because of supply-chain problems. Still, the industry trade group said airlines are confident they will avoid disruptions.
Some aviation experts believe that C-Band signals are too close on the radio spectrum to the frequencies used by radio altimeters.
