IATA calls for safe rollout of 5G network in Ghana
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged governments to work closely with the aviation industry to ensure that aviation and incumbent aviation safety systems can safely co-exist with new 5G services.
While IATA recognizes the economic importance of making spectrum available to support next generation commercial wireless telecommunications, the airline association says maintaining current levels of safety of passengers, flight crews, and aircraft must continue to be one of governments’ highest priorities.
The call came as the industry was meeting in Doha, Qatar at the 78th IATA Annual General Meeting.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said: “We must not repeat the recent experience in the United States, where the rollout of C-band spectrum 5G services created enormous disruption to aviation, owing to the potential risk of interference with radio altimeters that are critical to aircraft landing and safety systems.
The largest telecommunications service provider in Ghana, MTN Ghana, has already modernized at least 1,322 sites in readiness for 5G network rollout. The company is looking forward to try out the technology later this year.
Selorm Adadevoh, CEO of MTN Ghana in an earlier interview noted that: “5G is very exciting, we have already seen 5G licenses issued in Nigeria and some of our other markets and we are working with the regulator to try and see how we can try out or pilot either this year or next year, so exciting times ahead and we are looking forward to it.”
Mr. Walsh urged that telecoms companies and the National Communications Authority (NCA) should work closely with the aviation sector regulator —the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)— before deciding on any spectrum allocations or conducting spectrum auctions so as to ensure a safe rollout of the technology as has been done in some countries.
“In fact, many countries have successfully managed to facilitate the requirements of 5G service providers, while including necessary mitigations to preserve aviation safety and uninterrupted services. These include, for example, Brazil, Canada, France and Thailand,” Mr. Walsh noted.
Measures that have already been used by some governments include: Ensure thorough testing, sufficient spectrum separation between 5G C-band deployments and 4.2-4.4 GHz frequency band used by existing radio altimeters; Clearly codify and enforce the maximum power limit for 5G C-band transmission and downward tilting of 5G antennae particularly in the vicinity of flightpaths; and Establishment of sufficient 5G C-band prohibition and precautionary zones around airports.
