Lawmakers Blast Federal Regulators Over 5G Rollout

Capitol Hill lawmakers blasted federal agencies Thursday (Feb. 3) accusing them of failing to communicate possible aviation safety worries over the rollout of 5G wireless services.

The hearing, before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was held because of the feud between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the sectors they regulate.

Executives of the airline and wireless industries, along with FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, testified about the standoff that delayed rollout of 5G in January and resulted in canceled flights.

The virtual hearing was streamed on the House Transportation Committee’s website.

“We already have enough uncertainty related to schedules and weather and other things that we don’t need to create our own problems further disrupting or creating uncertainty in airline travel,” said ranking subcommittee member U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R- La.).

Oregon Democrat U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the FCC approved the sale of C-band spectrum, frequencies between 4 and 8GHz, to wireless carriers in 2021 without consulting the FAA about safety concerns.

“Having a dropped call is way less serious than having a dropped airline out of the sky,” DeFazio said.

Dickson conceded the issue should have been handled differently.

“I think everyone realizes the process didn’t serve anyone well,” he told lawmakers.

But he insisted his agency is cooperating wireless industry to resolve concerns.

On Thursday, PYMNTS reported the FAA said it has received more than 100 pilot reports of possible interference at airports.

Read more: FAA Investigating Pilot Reports of Possible 5G Interference

Reports of irregularities on aircraft’s radar altimeters, the device that measures an airplane’s height above the ground, are being investigated by the FAA.

Last fall, the FAA expressed concerns that a new 5G frequency band could cause interference between key safety devices on airplanes.

See also: 5G Delayed by Verizon, AT&T on FAA Worries Over Airplane Interference

AT&T and Verizon agreed to halt the rollout of 5G services and will collaborate with the FAA to address their concerns over the technology.