Here is when stupid desire for innovation meets reality

The CEOs of a number of major US airlines warn in a fire letter of chaos at the US airports if telecom providers are allowed to use their 5G networks next Wednesday.

Immediate action is needed to prevent a significant operational disruption from occurring in the air transport of passengers, cargo and medical goods, the warning said. This alarming message is voiced by the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, among others.

“The damage caused by the entry into service [of new 5G frequencies-ed] on January 19th is much greater than we initially thought,” they say.

The letter writers paint a doomsday picture in which tens of thousands of Americans on other continents are stuck by the failure of flights and in which the American economy comes to a standstill squeaking and creaking.

“Unless our major hubs are protected so that it can be flown there, the vast majority of air traffic will essentially come to a standstill”.

In the fire letter to several policymakers in the White House, the airlines ask for a 2 – mile (more than 3 km) zone around runways that is protected from 5G signals in the so-called C-band. From tomorrow, U.S. telecom providers will be allowed to use the frequencies between 4.2 GHz and 4.4 GHz allocated to them for the establishment of 5G mobile networks.

However, signals at those frequencies disturb the altimeters of aircraft, the aviation companies state. They mention frequently used aircraft such as the Boeing 787, 777, 737 plus still aircraft that are used for regional flights. “The problems do not only occur in bad weather.”

The action of the airlines is an ultimate cry for attention in a long-running discussion between the aviation industry and the telecom sector. Telecom regulator FCC is of the opinion that sufficient testing has been carried out to ensure that the buffer between the new 5G frequencies and the frequencies using the altimeters is sufficient. The FAA said on Sunday that 45% of airports in the US are safe to use. However, there are not the major airports among them, the CEOs now state in their brand letter.

The agencies involved in the White House have not yet responded. Meanwhile, the airlines have already made preparations for canceling international flights that must arrive in the US on Wednesday.