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Detroit Metro to have 5G buffer zone to limit travel disruptions

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Romulus — Telecommunications companies have agreed to implement a 5G buffer zone around Detroit Metro Airport to help limit travel disruptions when they upgrade service to the region.

Detroit Metro will be one of 50 hubs across the country, including in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, at which wireless communication companies AT&T and Verizon have agreed to create buffer zones when they launch C-Band 5G services on Jan. 19, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday. 

“Safety and security are the top priority for the Wayne County Airport Authority,” Erica Donerson, vice president of Communications & External Affairs for the authority, said Sunday.

“… Over the next six months, the Airport Authority looks forward to receiving additional information from the FAA regarding the effectiveness of these buffer zones to mitigate potential impacts of 5G interference, as well as guidance regarding next steps when the mitigation measures expire.”

An airplane prepares to takeoff from the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus.

The announcement followed warnings that the next planned stage of 5G cellular service rollout may interfere with airplane electronic systems that are critical for flight operation in bad weather, while airlines were experiencing thousands of flight cancellations and delays. 

The aviation industry contends that 5G signals could interfere with the altimeters that measure how high off the ground an aircraft is using radio waves, potentially endangering landings, particularly in low visibility or otherwise poor conditions.

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