Govt Urges Telcos To Minimise 5G Interference In Aircraft Operations While Installing Towers Near Airports

To minimise risks, telecom service providers have been advised to take various steps when locating 5G towers close to airports.

Centre has urged telecom service providers to take precautions to reduce the interference of 5G services with aircraft operations.

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On Monday, the government informed that telecom service providers have been instructed to take several measures to minimise 5G signal interference with aircraft operations while installing 5G towers near airports. Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh revealed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not conducted any research on the impact of 5G signals on civil aircraft operations.

However, the DGCA has examined the studies and actions taken by various countries during the launch of 5G, which highlighted the potential interference of 5G C-band signals with radio altimeters installed on aircraft, posing a significant risk to air travel.

As per the technical inputs provided by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), there is a guard band accessible in the frequency band assigned to 5G transmissions for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) in India. However, there is still a possibility of interference with aircraft radio altimeters that can lead to unsafe aircraft operations.

To minimise this risk, telecom service providers have been advised to take various steps when locating 5G towers close to airports. These measures include establishing safety and buffer zones around the airports, limiting the power levels of C-Band 5G transmissions near the airports, and ensuring that the tilt of 5G base stations does not interfere with radio altimeters.

In summary, the government has urged telecom service providers to take precautions to reduce the interference of 5G services with aircraft operations, particularly when installing 5G towers near airports. The advice is based on the possibility of interference with radio altimeters, which can significantly affect aircraft systems and lead to unsafe aircraft operations.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India's 6G vision document and launched the 6G R&D Test Bed last week, saying that the initiative shows the confidence of India. He said that from being a mere consumer of telecom technology India is moving fast to become a big exporter of telecom technology. "Within six months of the 5G rollout, today we are talking about 6G. This shows the confidence of India. Today we have brought the vision document to the fore. This will become a big base for the rollout of 6G," PM Modi said.

As per the roadmap, India could see deployment of 6G services by 2030.