5G rollout has met with some concerns from the aviation sector in the US. But do the same rules apply in India, too?

India's largest airport – Delhi IGI Airport – has made its facility compliant with 5G network, and passengers will be able to use the service once telecom service providers roll out the technology. While many Indian consumers are waiting for telecom companies to start 5G services, there have been concerns about its possible interference with critical aircraft systems, and many are wondering if the latest rollout in Delhi will impact flights.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) has made its premises compatible with 5G technology and is the first airport in the country to do so. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates the airport, said that the services can be used at domestic departures, international arrivals, multi-level car parking spaces, and other areas at the airport.

The Indian Express quotes DIAL, which said,

“Passengers will be able to enjoy a 20 times faster data speed on a 5G network as compared with the available Wi-Fi system. This would allow quicker downloads, zero buffering during streaming, seamless execution of resource-intensive applications like 3D gaming, better virtual reality experience, extremely high-density connectivity and intense coverage in all areas.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch 5G services in select Indian cities on October 1st, progressively covering the entire country over the next few years. But even as millions of Indians await 5G, what about the concerns regarding its possible interference with flight services?

There have been many discussions lately, mainly in the US, about the effects of 5G technology on flight systems. Concerns arose after it was discovered that some aircraft types' radio altimeters can be compromised and not perform accurately if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band.

It must be noted that the radio altimeter operates at a frequency of 4.2-4.4 GHz, which is quite close to the one used by telecom providers in the US and could interfere with vital flight systems.

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With the country getting ready for a 5G rollout, India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), also expressed its concern earlier this month over this issue.

But in India, the gap between the frequencies of a plane's radio altimeter and one's auctioned to the telecom companies for 5G is more than that in the US, and many believe that it is wide enough not to cause any problems.

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Still, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has taken note of the situation and commented,

“We have auctioned the C-Band spectrum within the frequency of 3.3 GHz to 3.6 GHz in India. However, the plane altimeters use the frequencies ranging from 4.2-4.4 GHz. So there is a difference of 500 MHz between these two. We are observing the concerns raised by DGCA, and working collectively.”

At the moment, there has been no alarm raised about the possibility of flight disruptions in India due to the 5G rollout, as many industry insiders believe that the US-specific issues regarding the technology do not apply in India. As such, flight operations in Delhi and other 5G-enabled cities and airports are expected to remain unaffected.

What are your views on it? Please leave a comment below.

Journalist - With a background in publishing and digital media, I like to combine my love for aviation with my passion for storytelling and reporting. I’m a keen observer of ever-changing aviation trends around the world and particularly in India. I also keep a close eye on fleet development of all major carriers and their subsequent impact on regional and international routes. Based in New Delhi, India.

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