How the new 5G broke US air travel

Let’s get one thing straight: The dogfight between the FAA and FCC over the safety of wireless technology at airports isn’t about 5G networks per se, which have been around for years.

Instead, they’re at odds over an improved 5G network that could finally make the technology truly useful. This network will use “C-band,” a set of radio frequencies that deliver longer range and faster data speeds. But C-band frequencies are also used by aircraft radars that are essential for safe flying. And for months, airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration have warned that interference from C-band phone networks could scramble aircraft radars, making it too risky to land planes at night or in bad weather.