5G band unlikely to cause interference to aircraft, says Centre

The frequency band of 3300-3670 MHz identified for 5G technology in India is sufficiently spaced out from the 4200-4400 MHz band, used for radio altimeter in planes, and it is "very unlikely" to cause any interference in radio altimeter communications, the government said on Wednesday.

Some media reports have been published regarding observations of US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on possible interference by 5G technology with radio altimeter used in aircraft, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

Further, Chauhan said the frequency band identified for 5G technology is 3300-3670 MHz, among others, which is sufficiently spaced out from the frequency band 4200-4400 MHz, used for radio altimeter in aircraft and "it is very unlikely to cause any interference with the operation of radio altimeters".

He was responding to a query on whether the government has studied the potential risks to flight safety likely to be caused by the rollout of 5G services.

"No study has been carried out in this regard, as the frequency bands opened in the country for IMT, including 5G technology, are as per the techno-regulatory conditions specified by the International Telecommunication Union and National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP)-2018," Chauhan said.

On whether the spectrum to be allocated for 5G services coincide with the altimeter spectrum, the minister said, "no".

To a separate question, Chauhan said the launch of 5G mobile services is likely during 2022-23 by telecom operators.

The infrastructure required for rolling out 5G technology in the country is to be developed by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) based on the growth of ecosystem and demand for services.

"The investment for creating infrastructure for rolling out the 5G technology by the TSPs will depend on their techno-commercial considerations," he said.

On a question regarding internet shutdowns, Chauhan said the Union government does not maintain records relating to telecom services/internet shutdowns ordered by the state governments.

"The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 does not mandate the central government to maintain any centralised data of internet suspensions," he said.