Needless to say, the airlines balked at spending extra for altimeter retrofits that may become obsolete with continuous network deployments, while Verizon and AT&T worked with the FAA and FCC to adjust their antenna locations, signal strength and direction away from the potential points of interference.
The mid-band 5G is where the magic of high speeds and low latency, coupled with enough reach and signal penetration, happens. The high-band mmWave 5G that Verizon initially deployed is very fast but its signal can’t travel far, while the low bands are for 5G coverage bragging rights as they often return lower speeds than a robust 4G LTE network like Verizon’s.
It was therefore crucial for Verizon and AT&T to resolve the airport interference issue and move forward with full-scale C-band 5G network deployment. Their agreement to follow the FCC’s voluntary regulation on the matter is an important step in that direction now. As Verizon puts it, “C-band wireless operations and aviation can safely co-exist, something that’s been proven in the U.S. and around the globe.”
