Regulatory Alert: FAA Provides Updates on New Agreement with Verizon/AT&T to Reduce 5G Operational Impacts
January 19, 2022
Late yesterday evening, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson and other senior FAA leaders provided AAAE and other aviation organizations with a briefing on the additional mitigation measures that Verizon and AT&T agreed to yesterday afternoon to help mitigate major operational impacts from the deployment of their new 5G C-Band network, which occurred in 46 markets across the country early this morning at midnight. We wanted to provide an update on the latest developments and current state of play now that the network has been deployed.
New Agreement with Verizon/AT&T. As widely reported, Verizon and AT&T agreed to limit 5G services at some airports across the country to avoid significant disruptions to our air transportation system. However, we wanted to share some additional details that have been provided to AAAE regarding the agreement that was reached between the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), FAA, and the telecoms. Highlights include the following: 
• The telecoms were permitted to continue moving forward with the rollout of their 5G C-Band network early this morning at midnight on January 19.
• The telecoms agreed not to activate 5G C-Band towers near 82 airports where low-visibility operations would be affected by the proximity of 5G antennae to runways. These are the airports that have been impacted by instrument approach procedure (IAP) Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) released last week by FAA. 
• AAAE understands that the 5G C-Band towers were not activated within a 2-mile zone around airport runways. These are larger “buffer zones“ than what the telecoms had previously agreed to implement for 50 “priority airports“ on January 3. By creating or expanding the size of these zones, FAA is now able to approve more low-visibility operations at the affected airports. 
• Verizon and AT&T's agreement to not activate some 5G C-Band towers is being done voluntarily. Neither Verizon nor AT&T indicated when those towers would eventually be activated.
Some Low-Visibility Operations Approved. As of early this morning, FAA has officially re-issued two alternative method of compliance (AMOC) approvals for a wide range of Boeing and Airbus airplane models that will enable low-visibility operations at all 88 airports that have been most affected by 5G C-Band interference through the issuance of IAP NOTAMs. The models approved represent 45 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet and include some Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, MD-10/-11, and Airbus A310, A319, A320, A321, A330 and A350 airplanes. You may recall that when FAA originally announced these AMOC approvals over the past weekend, low-visibility operations were only permitted at 48 of the 88 affected airports. The agreement reached yesterday between Verizon/AT&T and the administration has enabled the list of airports to be expanded from 48 to all 88. 
In addition to the two re-issued AMOCs, AAAE has been informed that three other AMOC approvals were issued early this morning (one for Airbus and two for Boeing). These AMOCs include more airplane models, but FAA has not released details on the scope of the models identified in these three additional AMOCs. FAA is also reviewing many other requests for AMOC approvals that have been submitted by manufacturers to the agency and hopes to issue additional AMOCs in the coming days. 
Expected Operational Impacts. Despite the developments yesterday, there are still many questions over the operational impacts that are expected to occur now that the 5G C-Band network has been deployed. Yesterday, AAAE urged FAA to provide substantially more transparency into the scope of disruptions that are expected at individual airports to enable them to better prepare for and manage the impacts. 
As of early this morning, FAA has not published any official information regarding expected impacts, number of AMOC approvals, the airplane models included in AMOC approvals, or any other details regarding potential disruptions. While we do expect FAA to release additional details today regarding the AMOCs that have been issued, airports should consider contacting their airline partners for additional information, including to determine the specific aircraft models that have been approved to operate at your airport.
What's Next? Given the importance of this issue, we expect further developments from FAA and industry as the 5G C-Band network is implemented and operational impacts are better understood. In the meantime, FAA is reviewing requests for additional AMOCs, which would expand the number of airplanes that are approved to conduct low-visibility operations at airports located in the 46 markets where the network has been deployed. We continue to work closely with senior leadership at FAA, lawmakers, and our industry partners to mitigate the operational impacts to the greatest extent possible; ensure long-term solutions are implemented for 5G and aviation to safely co-exist; and help airports prepare for any disruptions that may result from the 5G C-Band network.    
Late yesterday evening, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson and other senior FAA leaders provided AAAE and other aviation organizations with a briefing on the additional mitigation measures that Verizon and AT&T agreed to yesterday afternoon to help mitigate major operational impacts from the deployment of their new 5G C-Band network, which occurred in 46 markets across the country early this morning at midnight. We wanted to provide an update on the latest developments and current state of play now that the network has been deployed.
New Agreement with Verizon/AT&T. As widely reported, Verizon and AT&T agreed to limit 5G services at some airports across the country to avoid significant disruptions to our air transportation system. However, we wanted to share some additional details that have been provided to AAAE regarding the agreement that was reached between the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), FAA, and the telecoms. Highlights include the following: 
• The telecoms were permitted to continue moving forward with the rollout of their 5G C-Band network early this morning at midnight on January 19.
• The telecoms agreed not to activate 5G C-Band towers near 82 airports where low-visibility operations would be affected by the proximity of 5G antennae to runways. These are the airports that have been impacted by instrument approach procedure (IAP) Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs) released last week by FAA. 
• AAAE understands that the 5G C-Band towers were not activated within a 2-mile zone around airport runways. These are larger “buffer zones“ than what the telecoms had previously agreed to implement for 50 “priority airports“ on January 3. By creating or expanding the size of these zones, FAA is now able to approve more low-visibility operations at the affected airports. 
• Verizon and AT&T's agreement to not activate some 5G C-Band towers is being done voluntarily. Neither Verizon nor AT&T indicated when those towers would eventually be activated.
Some Low-Visibility Operations Approved. As of early this morning, FAA has officially re-issued two alternative method of compliance (AMOC) approvals for a wide range of Boeing and Airbus airplane models that will enable low-visibility operations at all 88 airports that have been most affected by 5G C-Band interference through the issuance of IAP NOTAMs. The models approved represent 45 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet and include some Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, MD-10/-11, and Airbus A310, A319, A320, A321, A330 and A350 airplanes. You may recall that when FAA originally announced these AMOC approvals over the past weekend, low-visibility operations were only permitted at 48 of the 88 affected airports. The agreement reached yesterday between Verizon/AT&T and the administration has enabled the list of airports to be expanded from 48 to all 88. 
In addition to the two re-issued AMOCs, AAAE has been informed that three other AMOC approvals were issued early this morning (one for Airbus and two for Boeing). These AMOCs include more airplane models, but FAA has not released details on the scope of the models identified in these three additional AMOCs. FAA is also reviewing many other requests for AMOC approvals that have been submitted by manufacturers to the agency and hopes to issue additional AMOCs in the coming days. 
Expected Operational Impacts. Despite the developments yesterday, there are still many questions over the operational impacts that are expected to occur now that the 5G C-Band network has been deployed. Yesterday, AAAE urged FAA to provide substantially more transparency into the scope of disruptions that are expected at individual airports to enable them to better prepare for and manage the impacts. 
As of early this morning, FAA has not published any official information regarding expected impacts, number of AMOC approvals, the airplane models included in AMOC approvals, or any other details regarding potential disruptions. While we do expect FAA to release additional details today regarding the AMOCs that have been issued, airports should consider contacting their airline partners for additional information, including to determine the specific aircraft models that have been approved to operate at your airport.
What's Next? Given the importance of this issue, we expect further developments from FAA and industry as the 5G C-Band network is implemented and operational impacts are better understood. In the meantime, FAA is reviewing requests for additional AMOCs, which would expand the number of airplanes that are approved to conduct low-visibility operations at airports located in the 46 markets where the network has been deployed. We continue to work closely with senior leadership at FAA, lawmakers, and our industry partners to mitigate the operational impacts to the greatest extent possible; ensure long-term solutions are implemented for 5G and aviation to safely co-exist; and help airports prepare for any disruptions that may result from the 5G C-Band network.    
