Government panel to look into 5G deployment at airports
Ajay Kumar Sood has been tasked with resolving the contentious issue of rolling out 5G services in and around airports amid aircraft and passenger safety concerns.
Senior officials aware of the move told ET that a wider panel has been formed «to work on the 5G matter» as no consensus was reached around timelines for replacing obsolete aircraft radio altimeters-a key device that provides vital altitude information to flight crews and on-board aircraft systems during landings in low visibility conditions.
While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have been holding discussions with telcos, airline operators and aircraft manufacturers, the issue has been in limbo for more than a year.
In November 2022, the DoT had asked all mobile operators not to install any 5G sites in the 3,300-3,670 MHz band within 2.1 km of both ends of the runway at all airports in India, to avoid potential interference with aircraft radio frequencies. But it was only meant to be a temporary measure till altimeters of aircraft were replaced.
The telecom operators have complained that even over 15 months since the launch of 5G in India, they continue to be barred from offering next-gen services around airports, resulting in revenue losses.
Last September, India's top telcos had even urged the civil aviation ministry to push the DGCA to set a deadline for all airline companies operating in India to replace their obsolete radio altimeters systems.
Boeing and Airbus, on their part, had told the government that altimeters must be changed for a permanent solution around 5G connectivity at airports. And for this, a decision needed to be taken by airlines and DGCA around purchase orders.
