Government officials are raising concerns about potential travel disruptions due to the impending 5G rollout scheduled for July 1st. While Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has indicated that a significant portion of domestic airlines have implemented necessary adjustments to mitigate interference from 5G signals, the risk of flight delays and cancellations persists. Buttigieg, in a recent interview, highlighted this as a major potential challenge for air travel this summer.
Aviation expert and CEO of KM Cargo, Mike Coffield, provided an analogy to illustrate how 5G interference can impact airline communications. He likened communication channels to designated lanes in a swimming pool, explaining that increased 5G power could encroach upon these lanes, causing disruptions. Coffield recounted a personal experience during a testing phase at Newark Airport where autopilots malfunctioned as aircraft approached the ground due to interference from radar detectors on trucks traveling on a nearby interstate.
Coffield expressed uncertainty about whether passengers can determine if their flights have undergone the necessary updates to accommodate the 5G expansion. He suggested that flight cancellations might be an indicator of aircraft lacking updated radio altimeters, which are crucial for flying in low-visibility conditions. While acknowledging the potential benefits of 5G for airlines in terms of improved technology and efficiency, Coffield questioned the necessity of this particular expansion, suggesting alternative solutions might have been more appropriate.
