ADVOCATING FOR YOU By Cade Clark, John Shea, and Emma Taylor The Future of 5G and
Aviation Operations HAI stands ready to work with telecom industry to protect aviation systems.
year. However, we’d like to highlight one that will have major impacts on future industry operations: the planned deployment of 5G networks, which will destabilize safe- ty-critical systems on all civil aircraft, especially helicopters.
I
HAI’s 5G Involvement In the June and September 2021 editions of ROTOR, we discussed the problem of spectrum interference. In the June issue, we shared an overview of the actions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to repur- pose spectrum adjacent to the frequencies used by some safety-related aviation equipment. In addition to interference with the L band, which will affect GPS ser- vice and satellite-to-ground communications, FCC actions have paved the way for deployment of 5G wire- less systems adjacent to C band frequencies that are used by radar (radio) altimeters. In the September issue of ROTOR, we expanded on
HAI’s advocacy on the 5G issue, which began in 2017 with our initial opposition efforts after the FCC first released a notice of inquiry about repurposing C band spectrum. We also discussed HAI’s efforts to address 5G interference at an international level, as the threat posed to aviation safety by repurposing C band frequen- cies for 5G wireless systems is a global one. Through its international partnerships, HAI stays abreast of international research efforts and regulatory proposals on 5G interference. These materials from the international aviation community serve as valuable learn- ing tools for the US industry as it explores actionable mitigations.
On behalf of a coalition of aviation industry stake- holders, HAI co-chairs a technical and operations
T’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT 2021 is coming to a close. There are numerous legislative issues that have captured our industry’s attention in the past
working group that evalu- ates both the impact of 5G on aviation operations and the actions that can be taken to mitigate those impacts, both in the United States and else- where. HAI will continue to do whatever it takes to
Visit HAI’s
Legislative Action Center
rotor.org/lac
protect our members and the industry while ensuring the safety of pilots, crews, and customers.
Recent Efforts in the 5G Sphere Over the past few months, HAI and several industry partners have met with officials from both the FAA and FCC to discuss 5G deployment. During these meetings, HAI has communicated the importance of maintaining the reliability of radar altimeters in helicopters and other vertical lift aircraft, which are most at risk of interference from 5G systems because of their low-flying operations in challenging environments. Radar altimeters are required equipment for all US commercial helicopter operations. Additionally, the FAA-mandated helicopter terrain awareness and warning systems for helicopter air ambulance (HAA) operations have a radar altimeter requirement, as do helicopters equipped with night- vision goggles.
HAI and other members of the aviation coalition have
asked the FAA and FCC to jointly facilitate collaborative discussions between the aviation and telecommunica- tions industries to find solutions for potential interfer- ence. Coalition representatives have also requested that the FAA carefully weigh the costs, both financial and societal, of implementing future interference mitigation plans. During these meetings with FAA and FCC repre- sentatives, HAI has illustrated the disruption 5G interfer- ence could have on HAA operators by explaining the
DECEMBER 2021 ROTOR 9
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