Revisit order barring 5G towers on 3.5 GHz near airports, says COAI

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has written to the civil aviation ministry and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), asking the latter to stall its order mandating an exclusion zone for 5G base stations near airports.

The recent order, which came into effect November-end, makes 5G services in the 3,300-3,670 Mhz band unavailable not only in airports but also nearby business and commercial areas.

Therefore, the COAI has requested that telecom service providers (TSPs) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) hold discussions for a mutually agreeable safe exclusion zone for aircraft without impacting 5G roll-out.

It has also asked the authorities to provide technical specifications of the altimeters installed in aircraft (used to measure altitude above the terrain to determine the aircraft’s path) to test any interference issues. It has sought discussions and information-sharing between global 5G network vendors and DGCA officials for more informed decision-making.

The DoT order, under the aegis of the DGCA, prevents 5G services in all airports as well as in adjoining business and residential areas — many of which house top hotels. It prohibits setting up any base stations in the 3.3-3.67 Ghz band within 2,100 metres of both ends of the runway and 910 metres of its central line.

The association has said that while safety of airlines and passengers were a priority, these “need to be backed by credible practical scientific evidence and based on verified international precedents”.

The COAI letter was sent to Union ministers Madhav Rao Scindia (civil aviation) and Ashwini Vaishnaw (communications), DGCA director general Arun Kumar and civil aviation secretary Rajiv Bansal.

In Bengaluru, the defence ministry had experimented with 5G operations in C band and observed no interference as a result in the altimeters installed in defence aircraft, the COAI pointed out.

Since aircraft altimeters operate in the 4,200-4,400 Mhz band, prescribing an exclusion zone for 5G on a lower band without “adequate evidence is uncalled for”, it argued.

Nearly 40 countries operate in the C band without any restrictions, the COAI pointed out, adding that some have put in a buffer between two bands rather than exclude the C band even though they had denser traffic. Japan, for instance, has allowed 5G operations in the 4.1 GHz band, which is far closer to the altimeter band than in India, it said.

A telecom executive said the matter required the intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office, as the DoT was unwilling to take a stand at variance with the DGCA. “Otherwise it could impact 5G roll-out in key areas for monetisation.”