Wireless Companies Agree to 5G Airport Buffer Zones for Six Months
Verizon and AT&T agreed to turn off transmitters and make other adjustments at 50 major airports in the U.S.
Miami International (KMIA) is one of 50 airports implementing a 5G buffer. (Adobe Stock)
With the rollout of 5G C-band capabilities less than two weeks away, Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T) have agreed to create 5G buffer zones in areas of high traffic to help reduce the risk of disruption to key avionics, and radio/radar altimeters (RadAlt) for six months.
Mobile companies are set to turn on new 5G C-band capabilities on January 19. Last month, the FAA issued airworthiness directives to help mitigate the concerns of disruption that may be caused by the new 5G capabilities.
T-Mobile also offers 5G capabilities but not on the C-band spectrum so they are not within the worrisome 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band.
Verizon and AT&T agreed to turn off transmitters and make other adjustments at 50 airports in 46 markets for the next six months.
“Many airports are not currently affected by the new 5G deployment,” the FAA said. “Even though they are not on the list, these include airports not in the 46 markets where the new service will be deployed and airports that do not currently have the ability to allow low-visibility landings.”
The airports that will have the 5G buffer zones are:
- Austin-Bergstrom International (KAUS)
- Laurence G. Hanscom Field (KBED)
- Boeing Field, King County International (KBFI)
- Birmingham Shuttlesworth International (KBHM)
- Nashville International (KBNA)
- Bob Hope (KBUR)
- Akron-Canton (KCAK)
- Charlotte/Douglas International (KCLT)
- Dallas Love Field (KDAL)
- Dallas-Fort Worth International (KDFW)
- Detroit Metro Wayne County (KDTW)
- Ellington (KEFD)
- Newark Liberty International (KEWR)
- Fresno Yosemite International (KFAT)
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (KFLL)
- Flint, Michigan (KFNT)
- William P. Hobby (KHOU)
- New Haven (KHVN)
- George Bush Intercontinental/Houston (KIAH)
- Indianapolis International (KIND)
- Long Island Mac-Arthur (KLSP)
- John F Kennedy International (KJFK)
- Harry Reid International (KLAS)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- LaGuardia (KLGA)
- Long Beach (Daugherty Field) (KLGB)
- Kansas City International (KMCI)
- Orlando International (KMCO)
- Harrisburg International (KMDT)
- Chicago Midway International (KMDW)
- McAllen International (KMFE)
- Miami International (KMIA)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain (KMSP)
- Ontario International (KONT)
- Chicago O'Hare International (KORD)
- Snohomish County (Paine Field) (KPAE)
- Palm Beach International (KPBI)
- Philadelphia International (KPHI)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International (KPHX)
- St Pete-Clearwater International (KPIE)
- Pittsburgh International (KPIT)
- Raleigh-Durham International (KRDU)
- Frederick Douglass/Greater Rochester International (KROC)
- Seattle-Tacoma International (KSEA)
- San Francisco International (KSFO)
- Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (KSJC)
- John Wayne/Orange County (KSNA)
- St Louis Lambert International (KSTL)
- Syracuse Hancock International (KSYR)
- Teterboro (KTEB)
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